# Accident 20170812011609A: Bell 407, Charlottesville, VA, August 12, 2017 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 12, 2017, 16:48 local time - Place: Charlottesville, VA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Location: 38.0342° N, 78.5294° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0342&lon=-78.5294&mi=10 - Aircraft: N31VA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N31VA-2019-07-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 407 (registry code 1182206, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-407) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 407 - Reported engine: ROLLS ROYCE UNKNOWN ENG - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 5,700 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA17FA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17FA274) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170812011609A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. DATE: AUGUST 14, 2017 SUBJECT: VIRGINIA STATE TROOPER HELICOPTER ACCIDENT IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA ? ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2017, 2017, ABOUT 5:00 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 407 HELICOPTER, N31VA, OPERATED BY THE VIRGINIA STATE POLICE (VSP), EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC IN-FLIGHT EVENT AND DESCENDED INTO WOODED TERRAIN NEAR CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA. THE PILOT AND ANOTHER VSP TROOPER ON BOARD (A RATED AIRPLANE PRIVATE PILOT) WERE BOTH KILLED. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED DUE TO IMPACT FORCES AND POST-CRASH FIRE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PUBLIC USE OPERATION. ? ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, OTHER AIRBORNE POLICE HELICOPTER PILOTS, AND GROUND WITNESSES, THE TROOPER ONE HELICOPTER WAS AIRBORNE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WHILE PROVIDING AERIAL COVER FOR A MOTORCADE CARRYING THE GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA. NORMAL COMMUNICATIONS WERE SUDDENLY STOPPED, WITH NO MAYDAY CALLS, WHEN THE TAIL BOOM OF THE HELICOPTER SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED NEARLY VERTICALLY INTO TREES. ? THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY WERE FOUND ABOUT 100 YARDS PRIOR TO THE MAIN BODY OF THE HELICOPTER ALONG THE WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION PATH. NO EVIDENCE OF TWISTING WAS NOTED ON THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE DRIVE SHAFT. NUMEROUS FBI SPECIALISTS ARE ASSISTING AT THE ACCIDENT SITE; AT THIS TIME, NO EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY HAS BEEN FOUND. THE WRECKAGE WILL CONTINUE TO BE DOCUMENTED, AND THEN RETRIEVED FOR A MORE DETAILED EXAMINATION AT A SALVAGE FACILITY IN DELAWARE ALONG WITH THE HELICOPTER?S MAINTENANCE RECORDS. ? THE PILOT, AGE 48, HELD AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT (ATP) CERTIFICATE FOR BOTH ROTORCRAFT AND AIRPLANES (SINGLE AND MULTIENGINE INSTRUMENT). HE REPORTED 5,700 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE ON HIS LAST SECOND CLASS MEDICAL APPLICATION ON AUGUST 19, 2016. HE ALSO HELD A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) CERTIFICATE FOR AIRPLANE SINGLE AND MULTI-ENGINE LAND. THE OTHER STATE TROOPER ON BOARD WAS 41 YEARS OLD AND HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE FOR SINGLE-ENGINE LAND AIRPLANES. HE REPORTED 97 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE ON HIS MOST RECENT SECOND CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ON MAY 12, 2017. ? THE VSP OPERATE NINE HELICOPTERS OF VARYING TYPES AND LOCATED AT VARIOUS BASES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER, A BELL MODEL 407, WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2000 AND WAS POWERED BY A ROLLS ROYCE (ALLISON) 250 TURBOSHAFT ENGINE. A 2013 ARTICLE IN ROTOR &WING MAGAZINE FEATURED A STORY ABOUT THE VSP AND THE ACCIDENT PILOT. ## 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 ERA17FA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17FA274), Aug 12, 2017: Bell 407 (N31VA), Charlottesville, VA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of helicopter control after entry into vortex ring state, leading to a high rate of descent to the ground with a right spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of… ## Other reports on N31VA (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20100511005309A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100511005309A), May 11, 2010: Bell 407 (N31VA), Abingdon, VA, Substantial damage. At approximately 1355 EDT the aircraft crew was conducting a training flight that originated at Virginia highlands airport (vji) in Abingdon, VA. The purpose… 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.