What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The Bell 407 helicopter was en route, returning to the base location after a patient transfer. During cruise flight at 1900 feet at night under night vision goggles, the aircraft experienced a catastrophic engine failure. The flight crew reported they saw an instantaneous bright flash to the aircraft's rear, a loud bang, followed by the helicopter yawing to the left. The PIC initiated an autorotation. Towards the end of the autorotation descent, the PIC initiated a flare; however, during the flare, powerlines were seen perpendicular to the aircraft's flight path. PIC decreased collective pitch to near zero to get aircraft on the ground quickly before powerlines. PIC actions caused the aircraft to experience a “hard landing,” resulting in the main rotor blades contacting the finlets on the horizontal stabilizer. All three crew members did not sustain any injuries. Later, the crew reported that no anomalies had been observed before the engine failure.
The aircraft engine was removed and sent to the engine manufacturer for a teardown examination. No issues were found during the initial exam. The engine's internal components were sent to the metallurgy laboratory for further examination.
As the FAA filed it
THE BELL 407 HELICOPTER WAS EN ROUTE, RETURNING TO THE BASE LOCATION AFTER A PATIENT TRANSFER. DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1900 FEET AT NIGHT UNDER NIGHT VISION GOGGLES, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED THEY SAW AN INSTANTANEOUS BRIGHT FLASH TO THE AIRCRAFT'S REAR, A LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY THE HELICOPTER YAWING TO THE LEFT. THE PIC INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION. TOWARDS THE END OF THE AUTOROTATION DESCENT, THE PIC INITIATED A FLARE; HOWEVER, DURING THE FLARE, POWERLINES WERE SEEN PERPENDICULAR TO THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT PATH. PIC DECREASED COLLECTIVE PITCH TO NEAR ZERO TO GET AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND QUICKLY BEFORE POWERLINES. PIC ACTIONS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO EXPERIENCE A “HARD LANDING,” RESULTING IN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTING THE FINLETS ON THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. ALL THREE CREW MEMBERS DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. LATER, THE CREW REPORTED THAT NO ANOMALIES HAD BEEN OBSERVED BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILURE.
THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER FOR A TEARDOWN EXAMINATION. NO ISSUES WERE FOUND DURING THE INITIAL EXAM. THE ENGINE'S INTERNAL COMPONENTS WERE SENT TO THE METALLURGY LABORATORY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.