# Accident 20120831019819A: Bell 407, Bath, NY, August 31, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 31, 2012, 10:45 local time
- Place: Bath, NY
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Location: 42.3733° N, 77.3503° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3733&lon=-77.3503&mi=10
- Aircraft: N11SP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N11SP) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 407 (registry code 1182206, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-407) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C47 series (registry code 03029, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c47-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 407
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C47
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,605 total, 46 in this make and model, 46 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12TA538](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12TA538) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120831019819A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROX 500 FT AGL  WHEN PILOT REPORTED THE NOSE PITCHED UP AND ROLLED/YAWED RIGHT. PILOT REACTED BY PUSHING CYCLIC FORWARD. AS AIRCRAFT PASSED THROUGH 180 DEG THE PILOT OBSERVED THE TAIL ROTOR PASS IN FRONT OF HIM AND THE NOSE IS IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. PILOT STATED THAT HE  PULLED CYCLIC AFT RAPIDLY AS FAR BACK AS HE COULD. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SPIN AND PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE. AS TREES CAME INTO VIEW, THE PILOT PULLED COLLECTIVE AND AIRCRAFT IMPACTED GROUND SPINNING. TREES CAUSED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO BE SEVERED AND REMAINDER OF TAIL BOOM TO BE SEPERATED FROM AIRCRAFT. THE TAIL ROTOR AND AFT 5 FEET OF TAIL BOOM WERE LOCATED INTACT APPROX 300 FEET AFT OF THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE.  THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS LOCATED APPROX 300 FEET AFT AND 300 FEET UPSLOPE FROM TAIL ROTOR. TWO SECTIONS OF THE TRAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WERE TORN FROM AIRCRAFT AND THE HANGER BEARING DISPLAYED MARKS WHERE IT HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE.  THE TAIL BOOM DISPLAYED INDICATIONS THAT IT HAD BEEN SEVERED BY A MAIN ROTOR BLADE.THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED UPRIGHT AND LEVEL MINUS THE TAIL BOOM AND ALL 4 MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE PILOT EGRESSED, AND OTHER THAN MINOR FOOT INJURES, WAS UNHURT. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO A HOSPITAL FOR EXAMINATION WHICH REVEALED NO FURTHER INJURIES AND HE WAS RELEASED LATER THAT EVENING.

## 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 ERA12TA538](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12TA538), Aug 31, 2012: Bell 407 (N11SP), Bath, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper recovery from an in-flight upset, which resulted in the main rotor striking and separating the tail boom. Contributing to the accident was the helicopter manufacturer's failure…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.