Bell 47G accident near Lantana, Florida, December 15, 1996
On December 15, 1996 at about 5:56 pm local time, a Bell 47G (helicopter), registered N1200Z, was destroyed in an accident near Lantana, Florida (Palm Beach County Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an undetermined throttle problem, which resulted in a stuck (binding) throttle; and inadequate remedial action by the pilot, which led to a hard landing and subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 1996 · about 5:56 pm local time
- Place
- Lantana, Florida · Palm Beach County Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G · all 47Gs on the register
- Registration
- N1200Z · no longer on the register · serial 100
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that as he was descending on right base for landing, the throttle stuck full open, and the engine began to overspeed. He entered autorotation and turned into the wind. Reportedly, he did not initiate a deceleration (flare), and the helicopter collided with the ground in a nose-high attitude, bounced, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The helicopter was destroyed by a postcrash fire. No pre-accident deficiency was found during examination of the wreckage.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 243 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 16, 1996; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 100Z1HV (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LNA at 5:46 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PBI, 6 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.
Other NTSB records under N1200Z 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.