Bell 47J2 accident near Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, July 29, 1992
On July 29, 1992 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Bell 47J2 (helicopter), registered N8476E, was destroyed in an accident near Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ROTOR RPM DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF ENGINE OIL. IN ADDITION, THE PILOT FAILED TO INSURE THAT THE ENGINE CONTAINED ADEQUATE OIL, AND THAT THE OIL DIP STICK WAS SECURE PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT DUE TO MARIJUANA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1992 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Adjuntas, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47J2 · all 47J2s on the register
- Registration
- N8476E · no longer on the register · serial 1837
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER, AND THEN A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD & THE ENGINE WAS NO LONGER AUDIBLE. THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY MADE A TURN TO THE LEFT & DESCENDED. AS IT APPROACHED THE GROUND, THE ENGINE NOISE INCREASED. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED HARD ON TOP OF A HILL. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION OIL TANK AND ENGINE OIL SYSTEM CONTAINED 2 QTS OF OIL. THE TURN-TO-LOCK TYPE OIL STICK WAS NOT LOCKED, AND OIL RESIDUE WAS VISIBLE EXITING THE FILLER NECK AND FLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND DOWN THE TAIL BOOM. NO OIL LEAKAGE WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND AT THE CRASH SITE. THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AN FAA INSPECTOR HAD NOTED OIL LEAKAGE IN AND AROUND THE HELICOPTER'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT. TOXICOLOGY TESTS RESULTS ON THE PILOT WAS POSITIVE FOR FOR 0.010 UG/ML (BLOOD-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID) MARIJUANA, ONE PASSENGER WAS POSITIVE FOR 0.038 UG/ML (BLOOD) MARIJUANA, AND ANOTHER PASSENGER WAS POSITIVE FOR 2.4 MCG/ML (URINE) DIPHENHYDRAMINE OR BENADRYL.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,078 hours in all; 355 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 904 as pilot in command; 59 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,732 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 1992; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540-B1B3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Western Helicopters, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ABO Arecibo PR at 12:10 pm
- Destination: PSE Ponce PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:46 pm from PSE, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.