Bell 47G accident near Angels Camp, California, September 18, 2006
On September 18, 2006 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Bell 47G (helicopter), registered N7762, was substantially damaged in an accident near Angels Camp, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a hard landing due to the pilot's inadequate compensation for a wind shift encountered on final approach and his failure to maintain an adequate translational lift airspeed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2006 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Angels Camp, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G · all 47Gs on the register
- Registration
- N7762 · registry record · serial K-931
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an approach to land on a flat clear-cut plateau near a local vineyard, the wind shifted and the helicopter landed hard coming to rest on its left side. The pilot noted various obstacles at the approach end of the landing zone; two trees about 50 feet apart from each other, which he intended to fly between, a 6-foot-high mound, followed by a 2-foot hole, and another 2-foot mound, and then a flat area with no additional obstacles. On the approach, the wind shifted from a headwind to a tail wind. The pilot reported that the airspeed dropped below ETL (effective translational lift) and resulted in a loss of lift. He pushed the cyclic forward to gain forward airspeed and applied cyclic and power to avoid contacting the terrain below the top of the plateau. This maneuver assisted in gaining altitude, placing the helicopter above the plateau, but not above the 6-foot mound. He flared the helicopter, and as it passed over the mound, the tail rotor guard struck the top of the mound, which placed the helicopter in a nose down attitude. One of the landing gear skids collided with the 2-foot mound, which broke off the tailboom. At that point, the helicopter yawed to the right and started to roll to the left, and came to rest about 5 feet from the mound, lying on its left side.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER during landing
Pilot
- Ratings: none, helicopter, none, helicopter
- Flight time: 600 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin VO-335 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Arrow Aviation
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: RIU Rancho Murieta CA at 1:15 pm
- Destination: RIU
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX06CA296.