Bell 47G-2 accident near Miami, Florida, August 20, 1982
On August 20, 1982 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Bell 47G-2 (helicopter), registered N366DJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miami, Florida (Opa Locka airport). It was a personal 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 1982 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Opa Locka · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-2 · all 47G-2s on the register
- Registration
- N366DJ · no longer on the register · serial 717
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE HE WAS PRACTICING AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING, HE STARTED TO FLARE A BIT TOO HIGH. HE STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN HARDER THAN NORMAL AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWNWARD AND SWEPT ACROSS THE TAIL BOOM. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT FAILED AT THE AFT END AND THE MAIN ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED.
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: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,668 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,458 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OPF Opa Locka FL at 6:45 pm
- Destination: OPF Opa Locka FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 190°F (88°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 N366DJ 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.