Bell 47G-2A-1 accident near Balm, Florida, October 21, 2003
On October 21, 2003 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Bell 47G-2A-1 (helicopter), registered N73979, was destroyed in an accident near Balm, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's intentional buzzing and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance which resulted in an in-flight collision with a building.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2003 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Balm, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-2A-1 · all 47G-2A-1s on the register
- Registration
- N73979 · no longer on the register · serial 2875
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The witness to the accident stated that around 1100 he had gone for a ride in the helicopter with the pilot. The ride lasted for 20 to 30 minutes and when they landed, he got out and his friend got in to go for a ride. The helicopter took off and was gone for about 15 minutes. When it returned, he was standing in front of the hangar beside another bystander. The helicopter flew by twice, once from south to north, a second time from north to south and then turned to come from west to east. As the helicopter approached, the witness estimated it was about 8 to 12 feet off the ground. He was taking pictures with a disposable camera and the bystander was filming the helicopter's flight with a video camera. The witness stated that he believed the pilot was performing a fly-by so that he and the bystander could take pictures. He further stated that he believed "the blades on top of the helicopter struck the hangar above where [the bystander] and I were standing." The bystander was "struck by something" and fell to the ground beside him. The witness then looked to the right and saw the helicopter impact a small fishing boat and pickup truck that were parked just northeast of the hangar. The helicopter came to rest nose down, partially inverted in the cavity of the boat.. The videotape recovered from the video camera depicted the helicopter maneuvering in a manner consistent with the witness's description of the event. The tape also appeared to depict the belly or skid gear of the helicopter striking the video camera and/or the person holding the camera on the final pass. Examination of the accident site indicated that the helicopter's main rotor blades impacted the eaves of the hangar immediately above the location where the witness and bystander were standing. No evidence of any pre-impact mechanical discrepancies with the airframe or engine were found that would have prevented normal operation of the helicopter. The FAA had no record of the pilot having a valid airman or medical certificate. Friends and family members of the pilot reported that he had been flying the helicopter for many years.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming VO-435-A1F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Balm FL at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KTPA, 20 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.
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.