20140911016599A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 407 · Moab, UT · September 11, 2014

Date: September 11, 2014 · 11:09 local
Place: Moab, UT
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: MINA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N142MA
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR14CA373
Reported as: Bell 407
Reported engine: Allison 250 SER 250HP
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,500 total150 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N142MARegistered now · Bell 407S/N 53123 · Built 1996 Airframe modelBell 407 Engine modelAllison 250 SER 250HPTurbo-shaft

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.

Upon landing on a rocky hillside pilot inadvertently pitched down (possibly caused by catching toe of skid on a rock) and struck a large boulder with the main rotor. This caused the aircraft react violently and subsequently to roll down the hillside injuring the pilot and one bystander.

As the FAA filed it

UPON LANDING ON A ROCKY HILLSIDE PILOT INADVERTENTLY PITCHED DOWN (POSSIBLY CAUSED BY CATCHING TOE OF SKID ON A ROCK) AND STRUCK A LARGE BOULDER WITH THE MAIN ROTOR. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT REACT VIOLENTLY AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO ROLL DOWN THE HILLSIDE INJURING THE PILOT AND ONE BYSTANDER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR14CA373Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportMoab, UTThe pilot's failure to ensure adequate clearance from terrain while landing on sloped terrain.Sep 11, 2014 · Substantial damage