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20130709015119I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 · Groveland, FL · July 9, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 9, 2013 · 11:54 local
Place
Groveland, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N407LT
Reported as
Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce 250
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
14,000 total150 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

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.

According to the pilot at approximately 11:54AM on 07/09/2013 of N407LT a Bell 407GX was doing power line observations and had an engine chip light come on, then off, then back on again and stayed on. The pilot looked for a landing site at which the pilot heard a loud pop with the aircraft yawing. Turned right to avoid power lines and entered autorotation. The altitude of the aircraft was approximately 120-160 feet AGL and an airspeed of 55 KTS. The pilot entered autorotation, down collective, right cyclic away from power lines, leveled aircraft, flared for zero ground run and landed. Upon touchdown the aircraft rocked forward then backwards at which the main rotor struck the tail rotor driveshaft. The pilot shut off the fuel valve, throttle and electrical. The pilot checked to make sure passenger was ok.

There was a witness that saw the aircraft go down. He said there was a loud pop and what looked like a torch of fire coming out the top of the aircraft. He said the aircraft came down quickly.

Upon the preliminary inspection, the #2 engine bearing had failed. There was no damage to the tail boom. Since there was no structural damage to the aircraft this has been classified as an incident. Rolls-royce indicated that it could take up to two years for a final determination.

This information has been forwarded to the NTSB and the report will be closed as an incident.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT AT APPROXIMATELY 11:54AM ON 07/09/2013 OF N407LT A BELL 407GX WAS DOING POWER LINE OBSERVATIONS AND HAD AN ENGINE CHIP LIGHT COME ON, THEN OFF, THEN BACK ON AGAIN AND STAYED ON. THE PILOT LOOKED FOR A LANDING SITE AT WHICH THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD POP WITH THE AIRCRAFT YAWING. TURNED RIGHT TO AVOID POWER LINES AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION. THE ALTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 120-160 FEET AGL AND AN AIRSPEED OF 55 KTS. THE PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION, DOWN COLLECTIVE, RIGHT CYCLIC AWAY FROM POWER LINES, LEVELED AIRCRAFT, FLARED FOR ZERO GROUND RUN AND LANDED. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT ROCKED FORWARD THEN BACKWARDS AT WHICH THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT. THE PILOT SHUT OFF THE FUEL VALVE, THROTTLE AND ELECTRICAL. THE PILOT CHECKED TO MAKE SURE PASSENGER WAS OK.

THERE WAS A WITNESS THAT SAW THE AIRCRAFT GO DOWN. HE SAID THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND WHAT LOOKED LIKE A TORCH OF FIRE COMING OUT THE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE SAID THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN QUICKLY.

UPON THE PRELIMINARY INSPECTION, THE #2 ENGINE BEARING HAD FAILED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM. SINCE THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT THIS HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT. ROLLS-ROYCE INDICATED THAT IT COULD TAKE UP TO TWO YEARS FOR A FINAL DETERMINATION.

THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN FORWARDED TO THE NTSB AND THE REPORT WILL BE CLOSED AS AN INCIDENT.