# Incident 20221030013419I: Bell 407, Rockdale, TX, October 30, 2022

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 30, 2022, 21:59 local time
- Place: Rockdale, TX
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: VE7A
- Location: 30.6557° N, 97.0085° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Rockdale, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.6557&lon=-97.0085&mi=10
- Aircraft: N421PH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N421PH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 407 (registry code 1182206, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-407) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C47B (registry code 54585, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c47b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 407
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20221030013419I

## Narrative

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

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STRUCK POWER LINES WHILE LANDING AT A PARKING LOT FOR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY PICK UP AT APPROXIMATELY 10PM ON OCTOBER 31, 2022 IN ROCKDALE TEXAS. THE CUT POWER LINES RESULTED IN A TRANSFORMER EXPLOSION AND POWER OUTAGE. THE PILOT HAD MADE A CIRCLED PATTERN OBSERVING THE LANDING ZONE BEFORE DESCENDING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. THE PILOT AND ONE FORWARD OBSERVER WERE UNDER NIGHT VISION GOGGLES AND THE THIRD CREWMEMBER WAS UNAIDED.  THE EMERGENCY CREW ON THE GROUND HAD COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PILOT AND PREPARED THE LANDING ZONE. THE EMERGENCY CREW ILLUMINATED THE ELECTRICAL WIRES WITH GREEN LIGHTS BUT THERE WAS A BREAK DOWN IN COMMUNICATIONS OR INTERFERENCE WHERE THE POWER LINES WERE LOCATED.

THE PILOT BEGAN HIS DESCENT FOR LANDING AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SKIDS BEGAN PUSHING DOWN VERTICALLY ON THE ELECTRICAL WIRES UNTIL THE WIRES SNAPPED. INSPECTION OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REVEALED ABRASIONS AND SCUFFS TO ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE AND THE REST OF THE HELICOPTER REMAINED UNDAMAGED.

THE HOUSTON FSDO SAFETY INSPECTOR ARRIVED THE FOLLOWING DAY ON OCTOBER 31, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00AM AND TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND THE LANDING AREA. THE INSPECTOR OBSERVED WHERE THE HELICOPTER WAS LOCATED IN THE PARKING LOT IN RELATION TO THE POWER LINES, THE POWER LINES WERE DIRECTLY OVER THE TAIL SECTION OF THE HELICOPTER. FURTHER OBSERVATION REVEALS THE LANDING ZONE HAS POWER LINES BORDERING THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT RUNNING NORTH AND SOUTH. FURTHERMORE, THE POWER LINES THE HELICOPTER STRUCK DURING LANDING RUNS EAST AND WEST OVER APPROXIMATELY ONE THIRD OF THE LANDING ZONE.

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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