# Accident 20040321003219A: Bell 407, March 21, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 21, 2004, 02:20 local time
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Scud Running
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: M3XA
- Location: 31.3989° N, 103.1256° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.3989&lon=-103.1256&mi=10
- Aircraft: N502MT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N502MT-2006-09-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 407 (registry code 1182206, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-407) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C47B (registry code 54585, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c47b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 407
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 4
- Pilot flight hours: 17,300 total, 80 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW04FA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04FA097) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040321003219A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM BIG BEND REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER NEAR ALPINE, TX AT APPROXIMATELY 0143 ON 03/21/04 FOR AN AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT TO LUBBOCK, TX. IT WAS DARK AND AREAS OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WERE PRESENT BETWEEN ALPINE AND LUBBOCK. AT 0219 THE PILOT CONTACTED THE COMPANY DISPATCH TO BEGIN A POSITION REPORT WHEN HE STATED "HOLD ON A MINUTE DISPATCH...GIVE ME SOMETHING TO LOOK AT". NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED AND ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN CONTACT WITH THE PILOT WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. AT APPROXIMATELY 0330 THE DISPATCH CENTER CONTACTED THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY (DPS) AND REPORTED A POSSIBLE MISSING HELICOPTER. DUE TO BAD WEATHER IN THE ODESSA, TX AREA, THE DPS HELICOPTER WAS UNABLE TO LAUNCH UNTIL AROUND 0600. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED BY THE DPS AIRCRAFT CREW AT AROUND 0623. THE COMPANY HAS NOT WRITTEN STANDARDIZED PROCEDURE FOR ESCAPING FROM INADVERTENT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). THE PILOT HELD AN INSTRUMENT RATING IN HELICOPTERS BUT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT CURRENT. OF HIS 17,250 HOURS FLIGHT TIME, ONLY 217 WERE INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE (130 ACTUAL/87 HOOD). THE COMPANY HAS A POLICY WHERE THE PILOT COMES ON DUTY, CHECKS THE WEATHER, AND THEN MAKES A DETERMINATION AS TO THE MISSION STATUS...RED, NO GO, YELLOW, ONLY EMERGENCY, AND GREEN NO RESTRICTIONS. THERE IS NO OVERSIGHT TO HAVE SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE PILOT TO DOWNGRADE THE STATUS. THE PILOT SHOULD BE ABLE TO UPGRADE THE MISSION STATUS IF CONDITIONS WORSEN, BUT SOMEONE IN ADDITION TO THE PILOT SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR A DOWNGRADE IN STATUS. THE ACCIDENT SITE, WRECKAGE PATTERN, AND METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT SEEMTO INDICATE A CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN WHILE TRYING TO ESCAPE FROM INADVERTENT IMC CONDITIONS.

## 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 FTW04FA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04FA097), Mar 21, 2004: Bell 407 (N502MT), Pyote, TX, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent encounter with adverse weather, which resulted in the pilot failing to maintain terrain clearance. Contributing factors were the dark night conditions, the pilot's inadequate…

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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