20040219001609I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 407 · Madera, CA · February 19, 2004

Date: February 19, 2004 · 15:20 local
Place: Madera, CA
Phase of flight: Practice Training Manuevers
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: M3XA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N601MT
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX04IA135
Reported as: Bell 407
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,400 total3,386 in this make and model68 in the last 90 days

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 attempting an approach maneuver into the Madera airport and conducting initial (new hire) flight training, the crew felt the rotorcraft initially experience a momentary heavy shudder through the airframe. This immediately was followed by a load report at the aft tail boom area, which eventually led to a heavier airframe vibration. The rotorcraft began to roll left as the pilot climbed to an altitude of 500 feet. During an attempt to turn right towards the airport, the rotorcraft rolled to the left at approximately 90 degrees. The pilot regained control of the rotorcraft and prepared it for an auto-rotation phase. The engine was shutdown as required by procedures to compensate for this left torque condition the crew was experiencing. As the rotorcraft was stabilized an emergency landing zone was selected and landed straight-in with some minor damage from the tail rotor blade contacting the tail boom assembly.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE ATTEMPTING AN APPROACH MANEUVER INTO THE MADERA AIRPORT AND CONDUCTING INITIAL (NEW HIRE) FLIGHT TRAINING, THE CREW FELT THE ROTORCRAFT INITIALLY EXPERIENCE A MOMENTARY HEAVY SHUDDER THROUGH THE AIRFRAME. THIS IMMEDIATELY WAS FOLLOWED BY A LOAD REPORT AT THE AFT TAIL BOOM AREA, WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO A HEAVIER AIRFRAME VIBRATION. THE ROTORCRAFT BEGAN TO ROLL LEFT AS THE PILOT CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 500 FEET. DURING AN ATTEMPT TO TURN RIGHT TOWARDS THE AIRPORT, THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT AT APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES. THE PILOT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE ROTORCRAFT AND PREPARED IT FOR AN AUTO-ROTATION PHASE. THE ENGINE WAS SHUTDOWN AS REQUIRED BY PROCEDURES TO COMPENSATE FOR THIS LEFT TORQUE CONDITION THE CREW WAS EXPERIENCING. AS THE ROTORCRAFT WAS STABILIZED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ZONE WAS SELECTED AND LANDED STRAIGHT-IN WITH SOME MINOR DAMAGE FROM THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE CONTACTING THE TAIL BOOM ASSEMBLY.

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 LAX04IA135Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportMadera, CAthe failure of the number 6 hangar bearing due to overheating. A factor in the accident was the operator's likely inadequate compliance with service bulletins and airworthiness directives on this issue, along with an inadequate maintenance inspection program…Feb 19, 2004 · Minor damage