# Accident 20060819017659A: Bell 407, Havre, MT, August 19, 2006

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 19, 2006, 11:55 local time
- Place: Havre, MT
- Airport: Havre City County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Power On Descent (Rotorcraft)
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: SVFL
- Location: 48.1903° N, 114.3797° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.1903&lon=-114.3797&mi=10
- Aircraft: N407SH (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 407
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,700 total, 100 in this make and model, 300 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA06CA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA06CA165) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060819017659A

## Narrative

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

(-23) DURING AN APPROACH TO AN UNIMPROVED LANDING AREA, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED INTO A RAPID DESCENT, BEGINNING AT 75 FEET AGL, THAT RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. POST-FLIGHT INSPECTION INDICATED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE EXTERNAL LOAD DURING THE LANDING. THE TAIL ROTOR RECEIVED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, AND THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT SHEARED AT THE ENGINE GEAR BOX.

## 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 SEA06CA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA06CA165), Aug 19, 2006: Bell 407 (N407SH), Havre, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot inadvertently allowing the helicopter to enter into a vortex ring state (settling with power) condition while he was lowering a long-line load to the ground, resulting in the helicopter…

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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