What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 4, 2022 at approximately 1155 EDT, N98ZA, a Bell model 407 departed Essex County Airport, Fairfield, NJ (kcdw) bound for wall street heliport (kjrb). The aircraft was operated by 14 CFR part 135 air carrier privacy data omitted on a 14 CFR part 91 positioning flight to jrb to pick up passengers. The only person aboard was the pilot. The weather, which was not a factor, was clear with a temperature of approximately 79 degrees f with winds at five mph out of the west.
The aircraft left cdw airspace and transitioned to teterboro ATC. The pilot requested a return to cdw but did not declare an emergency or notify ATC of any issues. During return, on initial call to cdw ATC the pilot stated, ?I may need the runway?, possibly indicating intent to perform a run-on landing. Reporting two miles out, privacy data omitted was instructed and acknowledged to land on the RWY28 ?numbers?, this was last communication with privacy data omitted. The aircraft entered the cdw airfield perimeter at approximately 1210. According to an eyewitness, the aircraft then pitched up, rotated twice and contacted the ground. The aircraft came to rest near the intersection of runways 10-28 and 4-22 and was destroyed. The pilot was critically injured and unconscious. It was noted that both (2) tail rotor crosshead bolts were missing, which would have adversely affected the tail rotor pitch control. Discussion with privacy data omitted director of maintenance indicated that the tail rotor had been removed and reinstalled the previous evening (6/3/2022), following bearing replacement. The pilot stated, "[I] called up teterboro, soon after they cleared me in I watched the aircraft go out of trim, it was indicating it needed full left pedal. I pressed in full left pedal and needed more so I pulled the pedal release and put in even more left pedal and the aircraft was still out of trim. I called teterboro and said I need to go back to cdw and turned around". The pilot's statements are consistent with the aircraft's expected behavior due to the missing crosshead bolts.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 4, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1155 EDT, N98ZA, A BELL MODEL 407 DEPARTED ESSEX COUNTY AIRPORT, FAIRFIELD, NJ (KCDW) BOUND FOR WALL STREET HELIPORT (KJRB). THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY 14 CFR PART 135 AIR CARRIER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON A 14 CFR PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT TO JRB TO PICK UP PASSENGERS. THE ONLY PERSON ABOARD WAS THE PILOT. THE WEATHER, WHICH WAS NOT A FACTOR, WAS CLEAR WITH A TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 79 DEGREES F WITH WINDS AT FIVE MPH OUT OF THE WEST.
THE AIRCRAFT LEFT CDW AIRSPACE AND TRANSITIONED TO TETERBORO ATC. THE PILOT REQUESTED A RETURN TO CDW BUT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY OR NOTIFY ATC OF ANY ISSUES. DURING RETURN, ON INITIAL CALL TO CDW ATC THE PILOT STATED, ?I MAY NEED THE RUNWAY?, POSSIBLY INDICATING INTENT TO PERFORM A RUN-ON LANDING. REPORTING TWO MILES OUT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INSTRUCTED AND ACKNOWLEDGED TO LAND ON THE RWY28 ?NUMBERS?, THIS WAS LAST COMMUNICATION WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE CDW AIRFIELD PERIMETER AT APPROXIMATELY 1210. ACCORDING TO AN EYEWITNESS, THE AIRCRAFT THEN PITCHED UP, ROTATED TWICE AND CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAYS 10-28 AND 4-22 AND WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT WAS CRITICALLY INJURED AND UNCONSCIOUS. IT WAS NOTED THAT BOTH (2) TAIL ROTOR CROSSHEAD BOLTS WERE MISSING, WHICH WOULD HAVE ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE TAIL ROTOR PITCH CONTROL. DISCUSSION WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE INDICATED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR HAD BEEN REMOVED AND REINSTALLED THE PREVIOUS EVENING (6/3/2022), FOLLOWING BEARING REPLACEMENT. THE PILOT STATED, "[I] CALLED UP TETERBORO, SOON AFTER THEY CLEARED ME IN I WATCHED THE AIRCRAFT GO OUT OF TRIM, IT WAS INDICATING IT NEEDED FULL LEFT PEDAL. I PRESSED IN FULL LEFT PEDAL AND NEEDED MORE SO I PULLED THE PEDAL RELEASE AND PUT IN EVEN MORE LEFT PEDAL AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL OUT OF TRIM. I CALLED TETERBORO AND SAID I NEED TO GO BACK TO CDW AND TURNED AROUND". THE PILOT'S STATEMENTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S EXPECTED BEHAVIOR DUE TO THE MISSING CROSSHEAD BOLTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.