N74898

On June 1, 2008, at 1330 eastern daylight time, a Bell 47D1 helicopter, N74898, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field after it experienced a severe shaking in the cyclic control during cruise flight near Carrollton, Ohio. The commercial helicopter pilot was not injured. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight departed the Carrollton County-Tolson Airport (TSO), Carrollton, Ohio, at 1315 en route to Wheeling, West Virginia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported he had departed TSO and had flown about 8 miles when the helicopter's cyclic began to shake violently. When he attempted to land, he could not get the helicopter to hover so he attempted a run-on landing. The pilot reported that the helicopter's skid caught some high grass or rough terrain and the helicopter rolled on its side. The pilot reported that the helicopter was operating normally prior to the accident.

The inspection of the helicopter by a helicopter mechanic revealed no preexisting anomalies. A broken hydraulic hose was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) for inspection. The inspection of the hose revealed no pre-impact anomaly.