Bell 47G accident near Corvallis, Oregon, September 25, 1989
On September 25, 1989 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Bell 47G (helicopter), registered N47VS, was destroyed in an accident near Corvallis, Oregon (Corvallis airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE COLLECTIVE CONTROL WHILE PERFORMING HOVERING AUTOROTATIONS, AND THE INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE STUDENT'S ACTIONS, WHICH RESULED IN HARD LANDINGS. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKENED STRUCTUALLY AS A RESULT OF CORROSION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 1989 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Corvallis, Oregon · Corvallis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G · all 47Gs on the register
- Registration
- N47VS · no longer on the register · serial 1394
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE PRACTICING HOVERING AUTOROTATIONS ON AN ASPHALT TAXIWAY SEVERAL HARD LANDINGS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE STUDENT'S DIFFICULTY LEARNING THE PROPER APPLICATION OF COLLECTIVE PITCH. THE CFI THEN INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO MOVE TO A SOD AREA ADJACENT TO THE TAXIWAY FOR THE CUSHIONING EFFECT TO REDUCE IMPACT FORCES ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE CFI SAID HE DID NOT INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT FOR DAMAGE AFTER THE HARD LANDINGS ON THE TAXIWAY. THE STUDENT THEN PERFORMED ONE HOVERING AUTOROTATION ON THE SOD AREA, AND DURING THE SUBSEQUENT HOVER CONTROL WAS LOST. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. HEAVY SKID IMPACT MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE TAXIWAY. THE ENGINE MOUNT TUBULAR STRUCTURE AT THE BOTTOM MOUNT, AND THE CROSS MEMBER SUPPORT TUBES, WERE FRACTURED. THE WALLS OF THE TUBES WERE OF IRREGULAR THICKNESS, CONTAINED EXTENSIVE CORROSION SCALING, AND IN SOME PLACES COULD BE BENT BY HAND. THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE, WHICH IS MOUNTED TO THE TRANSMISSION AND MAIN ROTOR MAST, WAS FREE TO MOVE. LAST ANNUAL INSP. FIVE DAYS BEFORE ACCIDENT.
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: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,294 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,043 as pilot in command; 264 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,148 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 1989; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V335-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CVO Corvallis OR at 4:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from CVO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.