Bell 47G accident near Hayden, Alabama, May 27, 2007
On May 27, 2007 at about 4:08 pm local time, a Bell 47G (helicopter), registered N7763, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hayden, Alabama (Private airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during hover, following a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2007 · about 4:08 pm local time
- Place
- Hayden, Alabama · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G · all 47Gs on the register
- Registration
- N7763 · no longer on the register · serial K992
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was repositioning the newly purchased helicopter off of a trailer to an area inside his private property. The student pilot's intended landing site was an uneven cow pasture. A witness observed that the approach of the helicopter was a steep descent. The helicopter landed hard, bounced back up, and the tail section started to move close to a tree. At that moment, the helicopter climbed quickly before it rolled over. It looked to the witness as if the helicopter was out of control. The main rotor blades struck the ground several times as it rolled over.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 160 hours in all; 160 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,025 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 4, 2006; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Avco Lycoming VO-435-A1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Hayden AL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: NONE Hayden AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from GAD, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N7763 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.