# Incident 20130709015119I: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407, Groveland, FL, July 9, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 9, 2013, 11:54 local time
- Place: Groveland, FL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.6429° N, 81.7945° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Groveland, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.6429&lon=-81.7945&mi=10
- Aircraft: N407LT (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 407
- Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC 250
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 14,000 total, 150 in this make and model, 250 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130709015119I

## Narrative

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

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.

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.