What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Fades fault light on engine overspeed. Shut down. Autorotated hard landing buckled skids. Hmu harness defective. (-23) on September 21, 1996, a Bell helicopter model 407 impacted the ground about a mile from the Kerrville airport due to loss of engine power. The helicopter was on a test flight for a fadec (full authority digital automatic control system) light which was noticed prior to landing at Kerrville. Damage to the helicopter was substantial, the tail boom was bent, landing gear was broke and the cabin sides were buckled and cracked. AD 96-21-12 was issued grounding all Bell model 407 pending completion of the accident investigation and development of corrective action.
As the FAA filed it
FADES FAULT LIGHT ON ENGINE OVERSPEED. SHUT DOWN. AUTOROTATED HARD LANDING BUCKLED SKIDS. HMU HARNESS DEFECTIVE. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 21, 1996, A BELL HELICOPTER MODEL 407 IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT A MILE FROM THE KERRVILLE AIRPORT DUE TO LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A TEST FLIGHT FOR A FADEC (FULL AUTHORITY DIGITAL AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM) LIGHT WHICH WAS NOTICED PRIOR TO LANDING AT KERRVILLE. DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIAL, THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT, LANDING GEAR WAS BROKE AND THE CABIN SIDES WERE BUCKLED AND CRACKED. AD 96-21-12 WAS ISSUED GROUNDING ALL BELL MODEL 407 PENDING COMPLETION OF THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CORRECTIVE ACTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.