20220511003599A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell BHT-407 · Livermore, CA · May 11, 2022

Date: May 11, 2022 · 12:00 local
Place: Livermore, CA
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: GH4L
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N999GH
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR22LA174
Reported as: Bell BHT-407
Reported engine: Honeywll HTS900-2-1D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,475 total160 in this make and model

N999GHRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407S/N 53868 · Built 2008 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 Engine modelRolls-Royce 250-C47BTurbo-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.

A Bell BHT-407 was performing human lift operations, human external cargo (hec) at the privacy data omitted training facility at Livermore, CA. Facility is approximately two miles west of Livermore airport.

At approximately 150' altitude, the helicopter lost engine power/rotor momentum, descended into a horizontal cable, turned slightly right and slammed straight down on gravel yard.

The hec lineman had touched down on ground approximately when helicopter hit horizontal cable. Once he touched down, he balled up and after helicopter crashed he un-hook himself from 60' longline and was first to attend pilot until first responder medics showed up.

The aircraft pilot was injured and first responders removed him from pilot seat and took him to hospital. Surgery was performed next day.

The hec lineman was taken to hospital and released same day.

NTSB and FAA ASI declared helicopter destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

A BELL BHT-407 WAS PERFORMING HUMAN LIFT OPERATIONS, HUMAN EXTERNAL CARGO (HEC) AT THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRAINING FACILITY AT LIVERMORE, CA. FACILITY IS APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES WEST OF LIVERMORE AIRPORT.

AT APPROXIMATELY 150' ALTITUDE, THE HELICOPTER LOST ENGINE POWER/ROTOR MOMENTUM, DESCENDED INTO A HORIZONTAL CABLE, TURNED SLIGHTLY RIGHT AND SLAMMED STRAIGHT DOWN ON GRAVEL YARD.

THE HEC LINEMAN HAD TOUCHED DOWN ON GROUND APPROXIMATELY WHEN HELICOPTER HIT HORIZONTAL CABLE. ONCE HE TOUCHED DOWN, HE BALLED UP AND AFTER HELICOPTER CRASHED HE UN-HOOK HIMSELF FROM 60' LONGLINE AND WAS FIRST TO ATTEND PILOT UNTIL FIRST RESPONDER MEDICS SHOWED UP.

THE AIRCRAFT PILOT WAS INJURED AND FIRST RESPONDERS REMOVED HIM FROM PILOT SEAT AND TOOK HIM TO HOSPITAL. SURGERY WAS PERFORMED NEXT DAY.

THE HEC LINEMAN WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AND RELEASED SAME DAY.

NTSB AND FAA ASI DECLARED HELICOPTER DESTROYED.

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 WPR22LA174Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportLivermore, CALoss of engine power due to the pilot inadvertently selecting engine IDLE mode while in flight, which reduced rotor and engine speed to a level that could not sustain flight.May 11, 2022 · Substantial damage