20030511013379A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 407 · Morgan City, LA · May 11, 2003

Date: May 11, 2003 · 15:33 local
Place: Morgan City, LA
Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft)
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: HEEA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N491PH
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW03FA148
Reported as: Bell 407
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,270 total1,777 in this make and model158 in the last 90 days

N491PHRegistration cancelled Nov 12, 2025 · Bell 407S/N 53386 Airframe modelBell 407

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The aircraft lost engine power while in cruise flight. The pilot reported that the "fadec fail" warning activated and the rotor RPM decayed to about 90%. The pilot also stated that the fadec did not automatically switch to "manual", and the engine surged 3 times when he attempted to manually switch to "manual". The pilot executed an emergency autorotation landing to a canal with the helicopter's emergency floats deployed. The main rotor blades struck the horizontal stabilizer winglets and the last segment of the tail rotor drive shaft during the landing. The investigation revealed that a capacitor in the engine's electronic control unit (ecu) failed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE "FADEC FAIL" WARNING ACTIVATED AND THE ROTOR RPM DECAYED TO ABOUT 90%. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THE FADEC DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH TO "MANUAL", AND THE ENGINE SURGED 3 TIMES WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY SWITCH TO "MANUAL". THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION LANDING TO A CANAL WITH THE HELICOPTER'S EMERGENCY FLOATS DEPLOYED. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WINGLETS AND THE LAST SEGMENT OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT DURING THE LANDING. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A CAPACITOR IN THE ENGINE'S ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FAILED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW03FA148Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportGulf Of MexicoThe short circuit of the C321capacitor in the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) that resulted in a single-point failure of the ECU's -15V power supply which disengaged/reverted the Hydro-mechanical Unit (HMU) from automatic to manual fuel control. Factors…May 11, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N491PH · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20040208002449IPwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft · Houma, LA(-23) While executing an approach to landing at an offshore helideck, SS248G, the pilot stated that he noticed a large gathering of pelicans, a large saltwater foul, on or about the landing area. As the aircraft neared the touchdown area, the water foul…Feb 8, 2004 · Minor damage