Bell 47G-2 accident near Zillah, Washington, June 11, 1983
On June 11, 1983 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Bell 47G-2 (helicopter), registered N41721, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zillah, Washington. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- June 11, 1983 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Zillah, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-2 · all 47G-2s on the register
- Registration
- N41721 · no longer on the register · serial 815
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ROTORCRAFT MADE A HARD LANDING AFTER COLLIDING WITH TREES DURING AN AUTOROTATION. THE ACFT HAD EXPERIENCED AN ENGINEFAILURE WHILE ON A REPOSITIONING FLIGHT BETWEEN AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATIONS AND WAS FORCED TO LAND. THE ACFT WAS AUTOROTATED INTO AN ORCHARD AND CONTACTED TREES, SUSTAINING SUBTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE SKIDS, MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND TAIL BOOM. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A TEMPORARY SITE A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE MISHAP. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE POWER LOSS WAS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE FUEL CELLS WERE EMPTY BUT THE FUEL GAUGES SHOWED FUEL REMAINING. THE ACFT WAS FUELED WITH 22 GALLONS OF FUEL.THE GAUGES READ ONE QUARTER-LEFT,ONE HALF-RIGHT. THE SYSTEM WAS DRAINED EMPTY. THE GAUGES READ ONE EIGHTH-LEFT,ONE QUARTER-RIGHT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,372 hours in all; 1,220 in this make and model; 202 in the last 90 days; 125 in the last 30 days; 4,040 as pilot in command; 708 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,065 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 10, 1983; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Zillah WA at 7:49 pm
- Destination: Wapato WA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from YKM, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N41721 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.