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20120824018949A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 407 · Abingdon, VA · August 24, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 24, 2012 · 22:30 local
Place
Abingdon, VA
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N407N
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA12FA527
Reported as
Bell 407
Reported engine
Allison 250 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
26,000 total3,000 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N407NRegistration cancelled Nov 21, 2013 · Bell 407S/N 53077 · Built 1996Airframe modelBell 407Engine modelAllison 250 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

The corporate turbine powered Bell model 407 helicopter had just transported 6 passengers from the bristol, TN motor speedway to the home of the ceo of the corporate operator. The landing area (1774MSL) is located adjacent to the shoreline of south holston lake in Washington county Virginia. The landing area is approximately 5 statue miles southeastof the Virginia highlands airport (vji) Abingdon, Virginia. Weather at the vji airport at the time of the accident was clear, visibility 10 statue miles, temp 62F dewpoint 57F. Wind 080 5 mph. A first quarter moon was attained at 1354 UTC on the day of the accident. The house next door to the departure area was equipped with a sophisticated security camera system. Digital video indicated the helicoper departed the landing area southbound over the lake and turned southwest towards bristol motor speedway. Just before leaving the camera's field of view you could see the reflection of the aircraft's light's as well as it's wake on the water. The aircraft then impacted the water (1745 MSL) resulting in an approximately 150 yard long underwater debris field.

As the FAA filed it

THE CORPORATE TURBINE POWERED BELL MODEL 407 HELICOPTER HAD JUST TRANSPORTED 6 PASSENGERS FROM THE BRISTOL, TN MOTOR SPEEDWAY TO THE HOME OF THE CEO OF THE CORPORATE OPERATOR. THE LANDING AREA (1774MSL) IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE SHORELINE OF SOUTH HOLSTON LAKE IN WASHINGTON COUNTY VIRGINIA. THE LANDING AREA IS APPROXIMATELY 5 STATUE MILES SOUTHEASTOF THE VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS AIRPORT (VJI) ABINGDON, VIRGINIA. WEATHER AT THE VJI AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CLEAR, VISIBILITY 10 STATUE MILES, TEMP 62F DEWPOINT 57F. WIND 080 5 MPH. A FIRST QUARTER MOON WAS ATTAINED AT 1354 UTC ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT.THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO THE DEPARTURE AREA WAS EQUIPPED WITH A SOPHISTICATED SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM. DIGITAL VIDEO INDICATED THE HELICOPER DEPARTED THE LANDING AREA SOUTHBOUND OVER THE LAKE AND TURNED SOUTHWEST TOWARDS BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY. JUST BEFORE LEAVING THE CAMERA'S FIELD OF VIEW YOU COULD SEE THE REFLECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S LIGHT'S AS WELL AS IT'S WAKE ON THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE WATER (1745 MSL) RESULTING IN AN APPROXIMATELY 150 YARD LONG UNDERWATER DEBRIS FIELD.

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 ERA12FA527Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportAbingdon, VAThe pilot's improper decision to make a low-level departure over water in dark night conditions without lights, which resulted in controlled flight into the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's likely spatial disorientation due to a vestibular…Aug 25, 2012 · Substantial damage