Bell 47J2 accident near Newburyport, Massachusetts, June 25, 1988
On June 25, 1988 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Bell 47J2 (helicopter), registered N51711, was destroyed in an accident near Newburyport, Massachusetts. It was a business flight 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
- June 25, 1988 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Newburyport, Massachusetts
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47J2 · all 47J2s on the register
- Registration
- N51711 · no longer on the register · serial 2629
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED RUNWAY 10 AT PLUM ISLAND AIRPORT, TURNED LEFT OVER THE PLUM ISLAND RIVER AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT STATED THAT NO WARNING WAS NOTED AND A CHECK OF THE INSTRUMENTS INDICATED NO PROBLEMS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE ENGINE MADE NO UNUSUAL NOISES. THE HELICOPTER WAS AUTOROTATED INTO WATER. THE OCCUPANTS WERE RESCUED BY A PRIVATE CITIZEN. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. WITNESSES NOTED NO GASOLINE IN OR ON THE WATER. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT LATER SHOWED ABOUT 1 GAL OF FUEL IN THE RT TANK AND AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL AND SALT WATER IN THE LEFT TANK.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,845 hours in all; 87 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 8, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Newburyport MA at 2:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.