Bell 47 Safety Record
Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 744 events recorded from 1982 to 2026.
| Date | Location | Reg# | Severity | Damage | Probable Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 29, 2026 | Floral City, FL | N347BH | Incident | destroyed | Investigation pending |
| Jul 31, 2025 | Assumption, MN | N102SH | Incident | substantial | A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from attitude-inducing unporting of the fuel. |
| Feb 23, 2024 | Garey, CA | N2618W | Minor | substantial |
Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly check the torque paint on a fuel control unit B-nut, which resulted in the loosening of the B-nut, a loss …Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly check the torque paint on a fuel control unit B-nut, which resulted in the loosening of the B-nut, a loss of engine power at a low altitude, and a subsequent impact with terrain. |
| Aug 12, 2023 | Mifflinville, PA | N1503L | Fatal (1) | destroyed | The pilot’s failure to see and avoid powerlines during an aerial application flight. |
| Jul 04, 2023 | Sainte-Marthe, FR | F-GKTR | Fatal (1) | destroyed | Investigation pending |
| Mar 21, 2023 | Livonia, NY | N73905 | Incident | substantial |
The pilot’s delayed action to arrest the high descent rate during a practice autorotation in tailwind conditions which ultimately resulted in loss of …The pilot’s delayed action to arrest the high descent rate during a practice autorotation in tailwind conditions which ultimately resulted in loss of control. |
| Oct 01, 2022 | Mesa, AZ | N24067 | Incident | substantial | A total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. |
| Feb 11, 2022 | Fallon, NV | N1023V | Incident | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a hover which, resulted in a collision with a hangar. |
| Oct 31, 2021 | Zelienople, PA | N132BR | Incident | substantial | A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined. |
| Jun 28, 2021 | Brasstown, NC | N147AH | Minor | substantial | The pilot’s inflight loss of control while conducting a hovering maneuver. |
| Jan 01, 2021 | Marana, AZ | N74823 | Minor | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control, which resulted in a hard landing. |
| Jun 15, 2020 | Atoka, TN | N473TT | Incident | substantial | A total loss of engine power due to a blocked fuel line; the reason for the blockage could not be determined based on the available evidence. |
| Nov 07, 2019 | Groveland, FL | N6746D | Incident | substantial |
The student pilot's improper cyclic input after a reported hydraulic failure, the reason for which could not be determined, and his failure to follow …The student pilot's improper cyclic input after a reported hydraulic failure, the reason for which could not be determined, and his failure to follow the emergency procedures, which resulted in a hard landing. |
| Oct 18, 2019 | King City, CA | N7060J | Minor | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing and the main rotor blades striking the tailboom. |
| Aug 28, 2019 | North Las Vegas, NV | N6064H | Incident | substantial | The noncertificated passenger’s loss of control during attempted hover operations. |
| Aug 20, 2019 | Montrose, CO | N1170W | Serious (1) | substantial | A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from attitude-induced unporting of the fuel. |
| Jul 30, 2019 | Limpopo Province, SF | ZS-HGY | Fatal (1) | substantial | Investigation pending |
| Jul 13, 2019 | Mosby, MT | N3078G | Serious (2) | substantial |
The pilot’s failure to account for environmental conditions conducive to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor ef…The pilot’s failure to account for environmental conditions conducive to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inappropriate application of power during the recovery. |
| May 06, 2019 | Denton, TX | N5990 | Incident | substantial |
The flight instructor's improper decision to instruct the student pilot to establish a hover and reposition the helicopter with a tailwind, which resu…The flight instructor's improper decision to instruct the student pilot to establish a hover and reposition the helicopter with a tailwind, which resulted in the student pilot's loss of pitch control. |
| Apr 17, 2019 | Donna, TX | N96671 | Incident | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain altitude during an agricultural application flight. |
| Jan 11, 2019 | Belen, NM | N3755Z | Incident | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain adequate main rotor speed while the helicopter was in an out-of-ground effect hover. |
| Nov 02, 2018 | Wichita Falls, TX | N1159W | Serious (1) | destroyed | A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. |
| Aug 02, 2018 | Custer, SD | N347BH | Minor | substantial | The pilot’s mismanagement of rotor RPM and subsequent forced landing on uneven terrain which led to a dynamic rollover. |
| Jul 15, 2018 | Franklin, IN | N8568F | Serious (1) | destroyed | A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence. |
| Jul 06, 2018 | Arlington, IN | N96195 | Fatal (1) | substantial |
The inflight separation of the upper transmission due to the thread failure of transmission housing attachment bolts, which were installed on the heli…The inflight separation of the upper transmission due to the thread failure of transmission housing attachment bolts, which were installed on the helicopter with thread damage from a prior installation. |