Bell 47G2 accident near Mojave, California, August 12, 1997
On August 12, 1997 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Bell 47G2 (helicopter), registered N9021R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mojave, California (Mojave airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student's improper use of the throttle and collective controls and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1997 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mojave, California · Mojave · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G2 · all 47G2s on the register
- Registration
- N9021R · registry record · serial CCI-165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The dual student had a fixed wing pilot certificate issued by a foreign country, and no prior rotorcraft flight experience. The flight instructor reported that he was doing pattern work with the student and that he was 'guarding the controls while the left seat pilot was flying.' He further stated that on the third pattern, the student allowed the rpm to decrease and he cautioned the student to 'watch the RPM.' The student then raised the collective without adding additional throttle. As the instructor reached for the throttle, the student quickly raised the collective without any other action. The aircraft then yawed to the right and the rotor rpm decreased even further. The student then applied a rearward cyclic input in an attempt to flare the aircraft. The tail rotor struck the ground, destroying the tail rotor and shearing the tail rotor driveshaft. The aircraft touched down in a right turn and the skids collapsed. The instructor reported that during the accident sequence he was 'attempting to regain aircraft control while calling for [the student] to release the controls.'
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,273 hours in all; 101 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 1,633 as pilot in command; 354 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,751 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 20, 1997; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-AIF (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MHV at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 3,960 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N9021R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX97LA285.