ST GENEVIEVE, MO, USA
N87623
BELL 47G-4
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ABOUT 40 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THERE WAS A DROP IN OIL PRESSURE FOLLOWED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BY AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED OVER A WOODED AREA. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SMALL CLEARING, BUT THE HELICOPTER STRUCK TREES SHORT OF THE OPENING. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NO. 5 CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED AT THE CRANKSHAFT END. IT WAS NOTED THAT A ROD CAP BOLT HAD BROKEN, THE CAP HAD STRAIGHTENED OUT, AND THE ROD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT. A LARGE HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE CRANKCASE AND THE OIL TANK WAS EMPTY. HOWEVER, OIL WAS NOTED INSIDE THE ENGINE AND ON ALL BEARINGS AND JOURNALS EXCEPT THE NO. 5 CONNECTING ROD. ALSO, ALL MAIN BEARINGS AND ALL ROD BEARINGS AND JOURNALS, EXCEPT NO. 5, WERE NORMAL.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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