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20071215829179I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Bell 407 · Gulf Of Mexico, US · December 15, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 15, 2007 · 15:04 local
Place
Gulf Of Mexico, US
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
YTRA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N407AK
NTSB investigation
NTSBDFW08IA045
Reported as
Bell 407
Reported engine
Allison 250C47B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,075 total84 in this make and model84 in the last 90 days
N407AKRegistration cancelled Mar 17, 2009 · Bell 407S/N 53269 · Built 1998Airframe modelBell 407Engine modelAllison 250-C47 seriesTurbo-shaft

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) Helicopter was operating offshore (galveston VOR 135/100) enroute from one oil platform to another when the aircraft experienced significant vibrations, followed shortly thereafter by a noise which sounded like a loud pop. The aircraft then began a severe yaw to the right and the pilot could not correct with rudder pedals. Recognizing a loss of tail rotor authority and the possibility of total loss of control of the aircraft, the pilot entered autorotation and made a successful water landing on the aircraft floats. After the landing, the pilot decided to shut down the aircraft due to the rough sea state and the pilot and passenger evacuated the aircraft and entered a liferaft. Another company aircraft aided with communications and eventually a coast guard jet and then a helicopter arrived on scene. Pilot and passenger were picked up by the helicopter (approximately 1730L) and transported to scholes international airport and then transported by ambulance to the university of Texas medical building (utmb) facility.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING OFFSHORE (GALVESTON VOR 135/100) ENROUTE FROM ONE OIL PLATFORM TO ANOTHER WHEN THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT VIBRATIONS, FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY A NOISE WHICH SOUNDED LIKE A LOUD POP. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN A SEVERE YAW TO THE RIGHT AND THE PILOT COULD NOT CORRECT WITH RUDDER PEDALS. RECOGNIZING A LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL WATER LANDING ON THE AIRCRAFT FLOATS. AFTER THE LANDING, THE PILOT DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO THE ROUGH SEA STATE AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT AND ENTERED A LIFERAFT. ANOTHER COMPANY AIRCRAFT AIDED WITH COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTUALLY A COAST GUARD JET AND THEN A HELICOPTER ARRIVED ON SCENE. PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE PICKED UP BY THE HELICOPTER (APPROXIMATELY 1730L) AND TRANSPORTED TO SCHOLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND THEN TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BUILDING (UTMB) FACILITY.

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 DFW08IA045Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportHig Island A595The loss of tail rotor effectiveness for undetermined reasons.Dec 15, 2007 · No damage