# Accident 20220904018929A: Bell 407, Upland, CA, September 4, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 4, 2022, 08:00 local time
- Place: Upland, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Unknown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: QMLA
- Location: 34.2430° N, 117.6540° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2430&lon=-117.6540&mi=10
- Aircraft: N687AM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N687AM) (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: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,450 total, 264 in this make and model, 28 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR22LA333](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA333) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220904018929A

## Narrative

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

AT APPROXIMATELY 0800L,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SINGLE TURBO-SHAFT ENGINE HELICOPTER DEPARTED HESPERIA (L26) TO COW CANYON SADDLE LZ FOR A LIFT MISSION. THE FLIGHT MISSION WAS TRANSPORTING SUPPLIES AND FIRE FIGHTERS BETWEEN COW CANYON SADDLE (4,300 FEET ELEVATION) AND MT. BALDY SUMMIT (10,064 FEET ELEVATION) APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES FLIGHT TIME BETWEEN TWO LANDING ZONES. DURING THIS MISSION, THE FLIGHT CRASHED INTO THE CANYON NEAR BY SIERRA POWER HOUSE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TO THE GROUP OF TREES THEN THE PAVED SERVICE ROAD DAMAGING THE RIGHT LANDING SKID AND TIPPED OVER 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT SIDE. DURING THIS IMPACT, IT DESTROYED THE MAIN ROTOR AND ALL BLADES. NO PEOPLE ON THE GROUND WERE INJURED AND NO PROPERTY ON THE GROUND WERE DAMAGED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED THE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM THIS IMPACT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT RECEIVED MINOR INJURY. THE PILOT CLIMBED OUT THROUGH THE LEFT SIDE MAIN DOOR AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE FROM THE CRASH. THE PILOT WALKED AWAY BY HIMSELF AND JOINED FIRE FIGHTERS AND TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR MINOR INJURY (A PAIN ON THE SIDES OF ABDOMEN).

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A FLIGHT PARAMEDIC WITNESSED THIS EVENT AT THE COW CANYON SADDLE BASECAMP LANDING ZONE. HE SAW THE HELICOPTER WAS APPROACHING BUT ABORTED LANDING AND CONTINUED DESCENDING TO THE CANYON. HE HEARD THE MAYDAY CALL FROM THE PILOT ON THE RADIO.

THE PIC ORIGINALLY PLANNED FIVE ROUND TRIPS BETWEEN THESE TWO LZS. THE PIC APPROACHED FROM THE WEST. HE EXPERIENCED PARTIAL POWER LOSS DURING THIS SECOND APPROACH TO THE COW CANYON SADDLE LZ AND HE ABORTED THE LANDING. HE STATED HE SAW THE LOW RPM WARNING LIGHT AND HEARD THE LOW RPM WARNING HORN. THERE WERE NO OTHER WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO OTHER AUDIO ANNUNCIATIONS. THE CONTROLS WERE RESPONDING NORMALLY. THE ENGINE DID NOT SPUTTER. THE PIC STATED THAT THE ROTOR RPM DROPPED TO APPROXIMATELY 95%. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND THE ROTOR RPM WENT BACK UP TO 100%. HE CONTINUED TO SOUTH EAST BOUND AND DECIDED LANDING AT THE SMALL PAVED ROAD IN THE DEEPER CANYON AREA TO GAIN MORE TIMES AND ALTITUDES FOR EMERGENCY DESCENDING AT 600-700 FEET PER MINUTE AT GIVEN CONDITION. THE CRASH SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM THE LZ AND 3163 FEET ELEVATION AND IS ABOUT 1400 FEET LOWER ELEVATION THAN THE COW CANYON SADDLE BASE CAMP LZ. THE PIC ELECTED TO KEEP THE LOW COLLECTIVE INSTEAD OF AUTO ROTATION. HE DECIDED TO USE WHAT POWER THE HELICOPTER HAD FOR LANDING. THERE WERE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN-CANYON FROM THE CLEARING. THE FLIGHT WAS SLIGHTLY TOO HIGH TO LAND IN THE CLEARING SO THE PILOT FLARED INTO THE TOP OF A TREE ON THE DOWN-CANYON SIDE OF THE CLEARING. THE FLARE BROUGHT THE HELICOPTER TO A STOP. HE STARTED TO LEVEL THE HELICOPTER WITH FORWARD CYCLIC. HE PULLED FULL COLLECTIVE TO CUSHION THE IMPACT. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO PUT THE FADEC INTO MANUAL MODE BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO DIVERT ATTENTION AWAY FROM LOOKING FOR A GOOD PLACE TO LAND. (THE BELL 407’S ENGINE UNDERSPEED CHECKLIST INCLUDES FADEC MODE SWITCH TO MAN MODE.)

## 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 WPR22LA333](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA333), Sep 4, 2022: Bell 407 (N687AM), Mount Baldy, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to ensure the throttle was properly positioned before commencing an approach to land, which resulted in a low rotor rpm condition and impact with terrain. Contributing to the…

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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