Bell 47J-2 accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, July 31, 1982
On July 31, 1982 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Bell 47J-2 (helicopter), registered N4070B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chesterfield, Missouri (Spirit Of St. Louis airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- July 31, 1982 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Chesterfield, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47J-2 · all 47J-2s on the register
- Registration
- N4070B · registry record · serial 1812
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TOOK OFF AND WAS GOING THROUGH TRANSLATIONAL LIFT AT ABOUT 15 TO 20 FT AGL WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD BANG. HE SAID THE LOUD BANG WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A POWER LOSS. AN IMMEDIATE DESCENT WAS MADE AND THE HELICOPTER WAS LANDED HARD WITH A FORWARD SPEED OF ABOUT 30 KTS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE LANDING, THE TAIL BOOM WAS CHOPPED OFF AND THE RIGHT SKID COLLAPSED WHEN THE HELICOPTER SKIDDED THOUGH A DITCH. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AFTER LANDING. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT DEFICIENCIES.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,655 hours in all; 975 in this make and model; 262 in the last 90 days; 3,855 as pilot in command; 73 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,110 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540B1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Metropolitan Helicopter INC
The flight
- Departed from: SUS Chesterfield MO at 3:45 pm
- Destination: Alhambra IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 176°F (80°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.