Bell 47 accident near Harmon Field, March 17, 1995
On March 17, 1995 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Bell 47 (helicopter), registered N6569H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Harmon Field. It was a business 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an engine failure due to oil exhaustion from a missing oil pressure relief valve as the result of an improper maintenance inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1995 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Harmon Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47 · all 47s on the register
- Registration
- N6569H · no longer on the register · serial 3683
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS PROCEEDING TO A LANDING AREA AT 400 FEET AGL WHEN HE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. HE AUTOROTATED INTO DENSE JUNGLE TERRAIN. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE WAS MISSING. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT SINCE A 100-HOUR INSPECTION WAS MADE THE DAY BEFORE. THE INSPECTION OF THE SAFETY WIRE SECURING THE VALVE IS NOT A PREFLIGHT ITEM FOR THE PILOT, NOR IS IT REQUIRED TO BE INSPECTED PRIOR TO FLIGHT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,045 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 1,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,132 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 1995; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A/F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 84°F (29°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from NGM, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N6569H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.