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20040208002449I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bell 407 · Houma, LA · February 8, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 8, 2004 · 10:40 local
Place
Houma, LA
Phase of flight
Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
HEEA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N491PH
Reported as
Bell 407
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,490 total172 in this make and model93 in the last 90 days
N491PHRegistration cancelled Nov 12, 2025 · Bell 407S/N 53386Airframe 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) 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 departed the helideck. The pilot stated that simultaneously to the water foul's departure, the aircraft appeared to encounter a gust of wind directly off the nose causing the nose to pivot upward. The pilot terminated his landing to the helideck, loaded two passengers aboard, increased the rotor RPM for departure and noticed a higher than normal high frequency vibration. The pilot requested the passengers to verify door closure and that all seat belts were within the confines of the aircraft cabin. The vibration remained, the pilot elected to visually inspect the aircraft. It was discovered that the tail rotor had impacted the safety fence during landing causing an out of balance condition. The weather was VFR with gusty wings. A company flight was on file. privacy data omitted

As the FAA filed it

(-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 DEPARTED THE HELIDECK. THE PILOT STATED THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY TO THE WATER FOUL'S DEPARTURE, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO ENCOUNTER A GUST OF WIND DIRECTLY OFF THE NOSE CAUSING THE NOSE TO PIVOT UPWARD. THE PILOT TERMINATED HIS LANDING TO THE HELIDECK, LOADED TWO PASSENGERS ABOARD, INCREASED THE ROTOR RPM FOR DEPARTURE AND NOTICED A HIGHER THAN NORMAL HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION. THE PILOT REQUESTED THE PASSENGERS TO VERIFY DOOR CLOSURE AND THAT ALL SEAT BELTS WERE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE AIRCRAFT CABIN. THE VIBRATION REMAINED, THE PILOT ELECTED TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR HAD IMPACTED THE SAFETY FENCE DURING LANDING CAUSING AN OUT OF BALANCE CONDITION. THE WEATHER WAS VFR WITH GUSTY WINGS. A COMPANY FLIGHT WAS ON FILE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

Other reports on N491PH · 1

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

Accident 20030511013379AAutorot Descent (Rotorcraft) · Morgan City, LA(-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…May 11, 2003 · Substantial damage