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20090923017739A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 407 · Alliance, TX · September 23, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 23, 2009 · 15:40 local
Place
Alliance, TX
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6040Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN09CA604
Reported as
Bell 407
Reported engine
Allison 250C47B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
23,000 total1,200 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N6040YRegistered now · Bell 407S/N 53371 · Built 1999Airframe modelBell 407Engine modelRolls-Royce 250-C47BTurbo-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) The flight instructor was operating the controls of the helicopter while demonstrating a simulated fadec emergency proedure, with the fadec control system in the manual position. While the fadec is in the manual position, engine RPM must be controlled manually by the throttle. During the approach to a landing, and as the aircraft transitioned into an in ground effect hover, the aircraft began to descend rapidly in a tail low attitude. As the instructor attempted to increase collective pitch, he reported that the aircraft began drifting to the right. The aircraft contacted the ground, striking the tail skid and rear skid assembly, causing substantial damage to the tail skid, vertical stabilizer, and tailboom. After landing, with the aircraft still running, the instructor pilot performed a visual inspection of the aircraft tail section but did not observe any damage. After the instructor completed the inspection, the aircraft was flown back to the aircraft home base, where a postflight inspection revealed the actual aircraft damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS OPERATING THE CONTROLS OF THE HELICOPTER WHILE DEMONSTRATING A SIMULATED FADEC EMERGENCY PROEDURE, WITH THE FADEC CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE MANUAL POSITION. WHILE THE FADEC IS IN THE MANUAL POSITION, ENGINE RPM MUST BE CONTROLLED MANUALLY BY THE THROTTLE. DURING THE APPROACH TO A LANDING, AND AS THE AIRCRAFT TRANSITIONED INTO AN IN GROUND EFFECT HOVER, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND RAPIDLY IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE. AS THE INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE COLLECTIVE PITCH, HE REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND, STRIKING THE TAIL SKID AND REAR SKID ASSEMBLY, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL SKID, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND TAILBOOM. AFTER LANDING, WITH THE AIRCRAFT STILL RUNNING, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT TAIL SECTION BUT DID NOT OBSERVE ANY DAMAGE. AFTER THE INSTRUCTOR COMPLETED THE INSPECTION, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO THE AIRCRAFT HOME BASE, WHERE A POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED THE ACTUAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE.

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 CEN09CA604Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportFort Worth, TXFailure of the pilot to maintain control during landing.Sep 23, 2009 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6040Y · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20170124007419AHover/Holding · Fort Worth Tx, TXDuring simulated fadec failure the engine and rotor entered into an overspeed condition. PIC pulled up on the collective to try to slow the rotor system causing the aircraft to rapidly climb to 20-30 feet AGL. PIC then rapidly lowered the collective and the…Jan 24, 2017 · Substantial damageIncident 20140129001549ILanding: Approach · Fort Worth, TXOn 1/29/14 at approximately 0730, N6040Y with a Bell instructor pilot and pilot trainee departed alliance Fort Worth airport (kafw) to the Bell training academy practice area located approximately 4 NM north of the airport. During the approach, the pilot…Jan 29, 2014 · No damage