# Accident 20040128004369A: Bell 206L4, Patterson, LA, January 28, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 28, 2004, 09:30 local time
- Place: Patterson, LA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: YTRA
- Location: 29.7094° N, 91.3386° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.7094&lon=-91.3386&mi=10
- Aircraft: N207RT (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L4
- People aboard: 6
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,341 total, 3,600 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW04LA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04LA067) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040128004369A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER'S LEFT FIN ASSEMBLY DEPARTED THE HELICOPTER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, STRIKING THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY, THIS CAUSED A SEVERE AND CONSTANT VIBRATION ALONG WITH TOTAL LOSS OF ANTI TORQUE CONTROL.

## 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 FTW04LA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04LA067), Jan 28, 2004: Bell 206-L4 (N207RT), Patterson, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The in-flight separation of the helicopter's left winglet due to pre-existing cracks resulting in the winglet striking the tail rotor in-flight, and subsequent loss of directional control.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.