# Accident 19970407005249A: Bell TH13T, Capitan, NM, April 7, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 7, 1997, 08:15 local time
- Place: Capitan, NM
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.5406° N, 105.5904° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5406&lon=-105.5904&mi=10
- Aircraft: N74HL (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL TH13T
- Reported engine: LYC TVO435B1A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,821 total, 372 in this make and model, 76 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97TA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97TA154) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970407005249A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PREDATOR CONTROL FLIGHT. LOST POWER TOO LOW AUTOROTATION. HARD IMPACT. ROTOR CHOPPED TAIL. TANK BROKE. FUEL FIRE. (-23) ON APRIL 7, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 0815 MOUNTAIN DAY LIGHT TIME, A BEL TH-13T HELICOPTER, N74HL WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER AND SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING NEAR CAPITAN, NM. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED BY A POST LANDING FIRE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW97TA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97TA154), Apr 7, 1997: Bell TH-13T (N74HL), Capitan, NM, destroyed. Probable cause: loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s).

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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