Bell 47G accident near Wellpinit, Washington, August 17, 1997
On August 17, 1997 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Bell 47G (helicopter), registered N9571, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wellpinit, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing site, and his failure to maintain rotor blade clearance from terrain during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 1997 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wellpinit, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G · all 47Gs on the register
- Registration
- N9571 · no longer on the register · serial 7504
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the pilot was landing the helicopter on a gravel bar on a bank of the Spokane River, a main rotor blade contacted the bank. The helicopter dropped and tumbled onto the rocks. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions. According to records kept by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot was operating a restricted-category aircraft on a personal flight. Also, the pilot's FAA Third Class Medical Certificate had expired about 8 months prior to the 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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all; 250 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 1995; 150 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Selah WA at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.