Bell 47G-3B-1 accident near Fallon, Nevada, June 16, 1997
On June 16, 1997 at about 7:28 pm local time, a Bell 47G-3B-1 (helicopter), registered N1335X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fallon, Nevada. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
exhaustion of the aircraft's fuel supply, due to improper planning and/or decision. A factor related to the accident was the high density altitude which made a successful autorotative landing unlikely.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 1997 · about 7:28 pm local time · cases in 1997
- Place
- Fallon, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-3B-1 · all 47G-3B-1s on the register
- Registration
- N1335X · registry record · serial 6556
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine of the helicopter lost power after about 3 hours of flying. An autorotative descent was made to a site at 6,500 feet density altitude, and the helicopter was damaged during the landing. After the accident, 1.9 gallons of fuel were drained from the entire fuel system. The helicopter's unusable fuel quantity was 2.5 gallons. Examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of a preaccident mechanical malfunction or failure. A manufacturer's representative opined that an autorotative landing at 6,500 feet density altitude would likely result in a hard landing. The engine carburetor flow tested within the manufacturer's specifications.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 23,926 hours in all; 10,112 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 22,902 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,151 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 20, 1997; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TVO-435-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: U.S. Dept. of the Interior
The flight
- Departed from: FLX NV at 4:30 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from NFZ, 53 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N1335X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1335X on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell 47 478 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,080 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming TVO-435-B1A 2 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Fallon Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Nevada 1,294 since 1982 · 223 in the last ten years
- Nevada 4,582 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N1335X 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX97TA213.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.