Bell BH-47-G3B1 accident near Rock Island, Washington, September 26, 1991
On September 26, 1991 at about 1:30 am local time, a Bell BH-47-G3B1 (helicopter), registered N5474A, was destroyed in an accident near Rock Island, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO USE THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT WHILE LANDING ON A TRAILER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1991 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Rock Island, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell BH-47-G3B1
- Registration
- N5474A · no longer on the register · serial 2898
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HOOKED THE ACFT LDG GEAR SKID WHILE LANDING ON A TRAILER AND WAS UNABLE TO FREE THE SKID. HE ABANDONED THE RUNNING ACFT, WHICH ROLLED OFF THE TRAILER AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND A POST IMPACT FIRE.
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: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 1,700 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TVO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Rock Island WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:49 am from EAT, 6 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.
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.