Pilot Debrief

BELL 47G-4A near Alcoma, FL — 2026-09-06

Investigation ongoingERA26LA331
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Date
2026-09-06
Location
Alcoma, FL, USA
Aircraft
BELL 47G-4A
Registration
N797WS
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On September 5, 2026, at 1422 eastern daylight time, a Bell 47G-4A, N797WS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Alcoma, Florida. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that about 43 minutes after takeoff, he felt the helicopter momentarily yaw to the left twice. About 10 seconds later he heard a brief “metallic grinding noise,” which was followed by a loss of altitude, at which point the pilot performed a forced landing. The helicopter came to rest in trees resulting in substantial damage to the engine mounts, pitch change linkage, and tailboom. The helicopter was recovered and retained for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Loss of engine power (partial) · Enroute
  • Engine Failure Enroute
View NTSB preliminary report

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