Bell 47J-2A accident near Emmaus, Pennsylvania, March 18, 1982
On March 18, 1982 at about 3:50 pm local time, a Bell 47J-2A (helicopter), registered N8565F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Emmaus, Pennsylvania. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. 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
- March 18, 1982 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Emmaus, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47J-2A · all 47J-2As on the register
- Registration
- N8565F · no longer on the register · serial 3712
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE MANEUVERING AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL FOR AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY MISSION A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE POWER FAILURE OCCURRED. THE PILOT INITIATED AUTOROTATION PROCEDURES AND SET A COURSE FOR THE ONLY OPEN AREA, A SMALL FIELD WITH A 15 DEGREE UPSLOPE. A FLARE WAS PERFORMED DOWNWIND AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD. THE ENGINE TEARDOWN EXAMINATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY EXPLANATION FOR THE 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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,173 hours in all; 30 in the last 90 days; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,118 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VP-540-B1B3 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sky King Airways, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Allentown PA at 9:50 am
- Destination: Allentown PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.