# Incident 20130415006179I: Bell 407, Deer Valley, AZ, April 15, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 15, 2013, 22:25 local time
- Place: Deer Valley, AZ
- Airport: Deer Valley
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: QMLA
- Location: 33.6839° N, 112.1349° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Deer Valley, AZ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6839&lon=-112.1349&mi=10
- Aircraft: N408GA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N408GA) (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: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130415006179I

## Narrative

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

4/15/2013 THE PILOT STATES THAT BELL 407, N408 GA, AN AIR METHODS AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT, DEPARTED TUBA CITY AZ HOSPITAL AT 2047L EN-ROUTE TO BANNER GOOD SAMARITAN WITH A PATIENT ON BOARD.  THERE WERE NO ISSUES UNTIL 15 MILES NORTH OF PHOENIX DEER VALLEY (2225L).  THE PILOT STATED WHILE GETTING ATIS AND PREPARING TO CONTACT TOWER, SMELLING A STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WITH SMOKE COMING FROM THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL NEAR THE CLOCK WITH A SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ALL INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING.  THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE WIND APPROXIMATE HEADING 240 DEGREES AND STARTED A DESCENT OUT OF 6000 FT. AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH DEER VALLEY (KDVT) ATC TOWER GIVING THEM THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION.

THE PILOT REPORTS LANDING IN A SMALL FIELD AT N33 54.49 W 112 05.11 AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER, SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND BEGAN ASSESSING THE AIRCRAFT, CREW AND PATIENT.  THE PILOT STATED AT THIS POINT ALL EVIDENCE OF SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED AND BEGAN COORDINATING FOR TRANSPORT OF THE PATIENT TO THE DESTINATION HOSPITAL. THE PILOT THEN CONTACTED FLIGHT SERVICE AND ASKED THEM TO CONTACT DEER VALLEY (KDVT) TO LET THEM KNOW THEY WERE ON THE GROUND SAFELY WITH NO INJURY OR DAMAGE.  MARICOPA COUNTY SHERRIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND FIRE RESCUE WERE ON THE SCENE WITHIN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.  AIR METHODS MAINTENANCE ARRIVED AT ABOUT 0230L AND DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT BE FLOWN OUT THAT NIGHT AND THE FLIGHT CREW DEPARTED THE SCENE AT 0315LCL, 4/16/2013.

ON 4/16/2013 THE MECHANIC INSTALLED A SERVICEABLE CLOCK, (NON NVG COMPLIANT AND DEFERRED THE NVG SYSTEM) ON MAINTENANCE LOG PAGE 939286 AND APPROVED THE AIRCRAFT FOR RETURN TO SERVICE.  THE LOG ENTRY STATES THAT THE CLOCK INTERNAL LIGHTING WAS FOUND DAMAGED AND CAUSE OF SMOKE. THE OPERATOR SUBMITTED SDR #QLMA2013041513053 REGARDING THE FAILED DAVTRON M803-5V-NVG CLOCK. THE SDR STATES THAT MAINTENANCE FOUND THE CLOCK BACK LIGHTING INOPERATIVE WITH AN ACRID BURNT SMELL COMING FROM THE CLOCK ASSEMBLY.

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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