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20211214021079A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 · Bridgeport, TX · December 14, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 14, 2021 · 13:50 local
Place
Bridgeport, TX
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N862YB
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN22LA078
Reported as
Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce 250-C47E/4
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
243 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days
N862YBRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407S/N 54837 · Built 2019Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron Canada 407Engine modelRolls-Royce 250-C47E/4Turbo-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.

On December 14, 2021, at approximately 1330 central daylight time, a Bell 407, N862YB, left alliance airport headed to Bridgeport airport for a one hour flight and to top off on jet a fuel. The privacy data omittedpilot decided to use this opportunity to practice a couple of power recovery auto rotations. The first approach was a straight power recovery and went well without any issues. He then decided to take the helicopter around the pattern for another approach and a 90 degree power recovery. The pilot rolled the throttle back to what he thought was idle, when he heard an audio warning of ?engine out?. He noticed the engine button was actually off and he immediately tried to conduct a restart of the engine. With no time for the engine to restart and the ground approaching quickly, the pilot performed an engine out autorotation. Near the ground the pilot flared the helicopter to bleed out the airspeed and soften the impact. The helicopter impacted the skids with a nose up attitude and broke the skid tubes causing the aircraft to roll over. Once the aircraft came to rest the engine was moved back to the off position by the pilot as it was found by the inspector at the scene. There were no mechanical issues found. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and roll over. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 14, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 407, N862YB, LEFT ALLIANCE AIRPORT HEADED TO BRIDGEPORT AIRPORT FOR A ONE HOUR FLIGHT AND TO TOP OFF ON JET A FUEL. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT DECIDED TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE A COUPLE OF POWER RECOVERY AUTO ROTATIONS. THE FIRST APPROACH WAS A STRAIGHT POWER RECOVERY AND WENT WELL WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. HE THEN DECIDED TO TAKE THE HELICOPTER AROUND THE PATTERN FOR ANOTHER APPROACH AND A 90 DEGREE POWER RECOVERY. THE PILOT ROLLED THE THROTTLE BACK TO WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS IDLE, WHEN HE HEARD AN AUDIO WARNING OF ?ENGINE OUT?. HE NOTICED THE ENGINE BUTTON WAS ACTUALLY OFF AND HE IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO CONDUCT A RESTART OF THE ENGINE. WITH NO TIME FOR THE ENGINE TO RESTART AND THE GROUND APPROACHING QUICKLY, THE PILOT PERFORMED AN ENGINE OUT AUTOROTATION. NEAR THE GROUND THE PILOT FLARED THE HELICOPTER TO BLEED OUT THE AIRSPEED AND SOFTEN THE IMPACT. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE SKIDS WITH A NOSE UP ATTITUDE AND BROKE THE SKID TUBES CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL OVER. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST THE ENGINE WAS MOVED BACK TO THE OFF POSITION BY THE PILOT AS IT WAS FOUND BY THE INSPECTOR AT THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL ISSUES FOUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT AND ROLL OVER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.

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 CEN22LA078Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportBridgeport, TXThe pilot’s failure to maintain adequate main rotor RPM during an autorotation which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper placement of the throttle during the initial practice power-on recovery autorotation.Dec 14, 2021 · Substantial damage