Bell 47G-2 accident near Cayey, Puerto Rico, September 3, 1989
On September 3, 1989 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Bell 47G-2 (helicopter), registered N37870, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cayey, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PRESENCE OF TREES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 1989 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cayey, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-2 · all 47G-2s on the register
- Registration
- N37870 · no longer on the register · serial 47-1965-3
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PVT PLT HAD A SINGLE ENG LAND RATING & WAS TRAINING AS A STUDENT FOR A HELICOPTER RATING. WHILE ON A LOCAL FLT AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL, HE NOTED A DECREASE IN ROTOR RPM. HE RPRTD THAT HE TRIED TO INCREASE THE RPM BY ADVANCING THE THROTTLE, BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT LANDED THE HELICOPTER IN TREES, WHEN HE WAS UNABLE TO REACH A CLEARING. NO REASON WAS FOUND FOR THE RPRTD LOSS OF POWER.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 179 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 83 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,374 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 15, 1989; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Carolina PR at 8:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from SJU, 27 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 N37870 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.