# Incident 20040219001609I: Bell 407, Madera, CA, February 19, 2004

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 19, 2004, 15:20 local time
- Place: Madera, CA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Practice Training Manuevers
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: M3XA
- Location: 36.9886° N, 120.1128° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9886&lon=-120.1128&mi=10
- Aircraft: N601MT (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 407
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,400 total, 3,386 in this make and model, 68 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX04IA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04IA135) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040219001609I

## Narrative

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

(-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.

## 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 LAX04IA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04IA135), Feb 19, 2004: Bell 407 (N601MT), Madera, CA, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: the 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…

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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