# Incident 20140530007399I: Bell 407, Abbeville, LA, May 30, 2014

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 30, 2014, 09:45 local time
- Place: Abbeville, LA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: IAVA
- Location: 29.9694° N, 92.1194° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.9694&lon=-92.1194&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1197, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1197-2020-08-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 407 (registry code 1182206, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-407) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 407
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C47B
- People aboard: 6
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 12,049 total, 4,500 in this make and model, 165 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN14IA270](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14IA270) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140530007399I

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 30, 2014, AROUND 10:45 AM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST) THE REPORTING INSPECTOR RECEIVED A CALL FROM WESTWIND AVIATION, INC. (IAVA) FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS INSPECTOR DAVID METZ. MR. METZ INDICATED THAT HE WAS CALLED AND NOTIFIED BY IAVA THAT ONE OF THEIR BELL 407 HELICOPTERS EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE POWER LOST AND THE PILOT HAD TO PUT THE HELICOPTER ON THE WATER. IAVA?S DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE (DOM) WAS CONTACTED BY ELECTRONIC MAIL (EMAIL) TO CONFIRM THIS INFORMATION. A REPLIED MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED FROM IAVA?S DOM INFORMING THE REPORTING INSPECTOR THAT ONE OF THEIR AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER ON TAKEOFF FROM A RIG AT EUGENE ISLAND 182 (APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES SOUTH OF ABBEVILLE, LOUISIANA). HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THE FLOATS WERE DEPLOYED AND THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SAFE AUTOROTATION TO THE WATER.  FIVE PASSENGERS AND PILOT ON BOARD REPORTED ALL SAFELY MADE IT TO A LIFE RAFT AND SUBSEQUENTLY PICKED UP BY CREW BOAT AND TAKEN TO THE PLATFORM. NO INJURIES REPORTED.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PILOT?S REPORT DATED JUNE 2, 2014 AND IAVA DISCREPANCIES & MAINTENANCE REPORT NUMBER 13714, AFTER LOADING TWO PASSENGERS FROM EUGENE ISLAND 182A FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE PASSENGER, HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO ?FLY?, THEN SLOWLY PULLED IN POWER WITH COLLECTIVE TO COME TO A THREE FEET HOVER WITH TORQUE STARTING AT 65% THEN TO 70% AND 700 DEGREES MGT. PILOT INDICATED THAT HE BEGAN THE TAKEOFF WITH FORWARD CYCLIC AND ABOUT THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT GOT TO THE EDGE OF THE PLATFORM THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STARTED TO LOSE POWER, THE MGT ?PEGGED OUT? AND THE CHECK-INSTRUMENT LIGHT CAME ON.  AFTER CLEARING THE PLATFORM THE LOW ROTOR RPM HORN AND LIGHT CAME ON. PILOT STATED THAT HE SHOUTED ?WE ARE LOSING POWER AND GOING IN THE WATER?, INFLATED THE FLOATS, LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDED IN THE WATER. PILOT INDICATED THAT AFTER LANDING, HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND NOTICED THAT THE MGT WAS STILL ?PEGGED OUT? AND THEN CLOSED THE THROTTLE, APPLIED ROTOR BRAKE AND TOLD EVERYONE TO GET IN THE RAFT. PILOT FOLLOWED THE PASSENGERS AFTER MAKING A ?MAY DAY? CALL AND TURNED THE OVERHEAD SWITCHES OFF. A BOAT NEARBY CAME TO RESCUE THEM ABOUT 30 MINUTES IN THE RAFT. IN ACCORDANCE WITH IAVA?S DOM THE OCCUPANTS WERE TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL FOR EXAMINATIONS, AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. HELICOPTER CAPSIZED DURING RECOVERY ONTO A BOAT. AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND SECURED AT ARROW AVIATION IN BROUSSARD, LA. A ROLLS ROYCE REPRESENTATIVE JOINED BY A FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR FROM THE BATON ROUTE FLIGHT STANDARD DISTRICT OFFICE EXAMINED THE ENGINE AND FOUND A FRACTURE ON THE COMBUSTOR CASE WELDED JOINT. ROLLS ROYCE REPRESENTATIVE WAS HAVING THE ENGINE SENT TO ROLLS ROYCE IN INDIANA, AT WHICH POINT NTSB INVESTIGATOR WILL MEET WITH THEM FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.

## 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 CEN14IA270](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14IA270), May 30, 2014: Bell 407 (N1197), Eugene Island 182A, incident, no damage. Probable cause: The improper repair of the outer combustion case, which led to its ultimate failure due to the continued progression of a fatigue crack and resulted in a partial loss of engine power during takeoff.

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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