# Accident 20220114001679A: Bell 407, Houma, LA, January 14, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 14, 2022, 10:00 local time
- Place: Houma, LA
- Airport: Venice Private Heliport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: YTRA
- Location: 29.4913° N, 90.4294° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.4913&lon=-90.4294&mi=10
- Aircraft: N167RL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N167RL-2023-11-08) (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: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,900 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN22FA100](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA100) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220114001679A

## Narrative

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

ON JANUARY 14, 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:54 AM LOCAL TIME, A BELL 407 HELICOPTER, WITH N REGISTRATION N167RL DEPARTED PATTERSON, LA (PTN) OPERATING UNDER PART 135 OPERATIONS FOR ROTOR CRAFT LEASING COMPANY,  WITH STOPS IN MC 194 AND VENICE LA. PILOT IN COMMAND WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND VALID PILOT SECOND CLASS MEDICAL # ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE FROM PTN, THERE WAS ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO WAS TRAVELING TO MC194. THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY ARRIVES AT MC 194, DROPS OFF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND PICKS UP ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. NO FUEL ACTIVITIES ARE RECORDED AT THIS LAYOVER. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TRAVELS FROM MC 194 TO VENICE BASE. AT THIS TIME, ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS FROM THE OPERATOR, ROTORCRAFT LEASING COMPANY, AND THE VENICE BASE OPERATOR, N167RL LANDS AT VENICE AT 9:23 AM LOCAL TIME AND STOPS FOR A ?TOP OFF? REFUEL IN WHICH HE RECEIVES 50 GALLONS OF FUEL.  THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTS AT 9:29 AM LOCAL TIME. AT APPROXIMATELY 10:27 AM, RLC DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALLS THE SHIFT SUPERVISOR TO INFORM HIM THE PHI HAD REPORTED A HELICOPTER DOWN IN A MARSH AREA THAT WAS IN THE FLIGHT PATH OF N167RL. AT 10:30 AM, RLC PERFORMS A ROLL CALL AND ARE UNSUCCESSFUL IN COMMUNICATING WITH N167RL. AT 10:58 AM LOCAL TIME, LAFOURCHE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT CONTACTS RLC WITH AN EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT. ACCORDING TO THE EYE WITNESS STATEMENTS, IT IS BELIEVED THE N167RL CRASHES AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM LOCAL TIME INTO A MARSH AREA IN THE FLIGHT PATH OF N167RL. THE WITNESS CLAIMS THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING LOW, BUT NORMAL AND THEN SUDDENLY TOOK A NOSE DIVE INTO THE GROUND AT HIGH SPEEDS. RLC, COAST GUARD AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RECOVERY EFFORTS WERE DISPATCHED AND WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF FAA INSPECTORS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, RECOVERY PERSONNEL WERE FINALLY ABLE TO LOCATE THE CRASH SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 2:22PM LOCAL TIME IN A MUDDED MARSH AREA MILES AWAY FROM THE HOUMA AIRPORT. AFTER INVESTIGATING AND ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS FROM RLC SUPERVISOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LAST REPORTED POSITION WAS AT 9:55 AM LOCAL TIME APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES E/SE FROM PATTERSON WITH A HEADING OF 284 KNOTS. WE CAN APPROXIMATE THAT THE TIME OF IMPACT BASED ON HIS TIME LINE WAS 10:00 AM LOCAL TIME. AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED . ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT SURVIVE THE CRASH. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH WERE VMC.

## 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 CEN22FA100](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22FA100), Jan 14, 2022: Bell 407 (N167RL), Houma, LA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s sudden loss of consciousness for undetermined reasons during cruise flight, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.

## Other reports on N167RL (1)

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

- [Incident 20061023021629I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061023021629I), Oct 23, 2006: Bell 407 (N167RL), Vermillion Bay. (-23) Pilot departed ver 267 enroute to ver 78, chip detector light illuminated, engine started making metal sound, and aircraft started losing rotor RPM. Once…

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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