N96MB

On August 14, 2004, about 1500 eastern standard time, a Bell 47G2 helicopter, N96MB, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted the ground during an attempted forced landing. The helicopter was on initial climb after takeoff when it experienced a loss of engine power. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot and his one passenger were not injured. The helicopter had just departed the Reese Airport, Muncie, Indiana, for a local flight.

The pilot reported that he had taken off from the Reese Airport and had made a turn to parallel the runway when he heard two loud "bangs" from the engine after which the engine stopped producing power. The pilot stated that he was at 50 feet and 45 miles per hour when the power loss occurred. The pilot stated that he performed an autorotation to a flat area near the airport. He stated that as he "approached touchdown [he] raised collective to cushion the impact but with so little altitude an autorotation gave very little rotor speed." He stated that the helicopter struck the ground in a level attitude while moving forward, the skids collapsed and the helicopter broke apart.

A postaccident examination of the helicopter was conducted. During the examination, the engine was found to rotate. The engine produced compression on all cylinders when rotated by hand. No further components of the engine were tested.