# Incident 20150117000859I: Bell 407, Greenville, SC, January 17, 2015

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 17, 2015, 18:35 local time
- Place: Greenville, SC
- Airport: Palmetto
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: M3XA
- Location: 34.8369° N, 82.3630° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Greenville, SC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8369&lon=-82.3630&mi=10
- Aircraft: N407CR, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N407CR) (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: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 4,032 total, 866 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150117000859I

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT REPORTED DURING THE FLIGHT THAT HE AND THE CREW HAD JUST BEEN CALLED BACK TO THEIR HELIPORT/BASE TO REFUEL AFTER AN AIR AMBULANCE STANDBY REQUEST HAD BEEN CANCELLED.  THE WEATHER WAS VFR WITH LIGHT WINDS AND THE SUN HAD SET ONE HOUR BEFORE THE INCIDENT.  THE PILOT DETERMINED HE WOULD FLY AN UNAIDED NIGHT LANDING TO MAINTAIN CURRENCY AND INFORMED HIS MEDICAL CREW.  THE HELIPAD WAS SURROUNDED BY A FENCE AND HAD A FUEL FARM ON THE NORTH EDGE OF THE LANDING PAD.  THE CREW CLEARED THEIR AREA OF VIEW AS THE AIRCRAFT WENT OVER THE FENCE AND THE PILOT BEGAN TO CENTER THE AIRCRAFT ON THE NORTHERN LANDING PAD AND THOUGHT HE WAS CLEAR OF THE FUEL FARM.  THE PILOT BECAME FIXATED ON A FUEL HOSE LAYING CLOSE TO THE FUEL FARM AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DRIFT TOWARD THE FUEL FARM OR TO THE RIGHT AS IT WAS SETTING DOWN.  AT ABOUT 5 FEET FROM THE SKIDS SETTING DOWN ON THE PAD THE AIRCRAFT ROTOR BLADES MADE CONTACT WITH A SMALL LIGHT POLE THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL FARM TANK.  THE LIGHT POLE TOP WAS SEVERED AND LANDED ON THE PAD.  THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY APPLIED LEFT CYCLIC, INCREASED COLLECTIVE TO CUSHION THE LANDING AND THEN INITIATED AN AIRCRAFT EVACUATION.  THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

## Other reports on N407CR (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20100410031199I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100410031199I), Apr 10, 2010: Bell 407 (N407CR), Greenville, SC, Minor damage. Aircraft was enroute to pick up patient. Approximatley 4 miles se of gyh struck a red tail hawk. Bird went through windscreen and landed in crewmember's lap in…

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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