Bell 47H-1 accident near Guilford, Vermont, April 28, 1985
On April 28, 1985 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Bell 47H-1 (helicopter), registered N2827B, was destroyed in an accident near Guilford, Vermont. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was 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
- April 28, 1985 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Guilford, Vermont
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47H-1 · all 47H-1s on the register
- Registration
- N2827B · no longer on the register · serial 1371
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER CRASHED AFTER LOSING ROTOR RPM DURING A MAX PERFORMANCE TAKEOFF FROM A CONFINED AREA AT A PRIVATE LANDING AREA. THE PLT HAD ADDED 10 GALS OF FUEL AND HE WAS CARRYING A PASSENGER. THE PLT SAID HE AHD TAKEN OFF FROM THIS AREA BEFORE WITH NO PROBLEMS BUT HE DID NOT ELABORATE ON THE POSSIBLE DIFFERENCE IN LOAD FACTORS BETWEEN THIS & PREVIOUS FLTS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,430 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 1,246 as pilot in command; 178 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 1984; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 210(6V-335-A) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.