# Accident 20250216018269A: Bell Helicopter Corp UH-1D, Deland, FL, February 16, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 16, 2025, 13:00 local time
- Place: Deland, FL
- Airport: Deland Municipal-Sidney H Taylor Fi
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.0670° N, 81.2838° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DELAND MUNI-SIDNEY H TAYLOR FLD (DED), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.0670&lon=-81.2838&mi=10
- Aircraft: N849DB, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N849DB) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter UH-1D (registry code 1181330, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-uh-1d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming T5313B (registry code 41613, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-t5313b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER CORP UH-1D
- Reported engine: LYCOMING T5313B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 9 in this make and model
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250216018269A

## Narrative

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

ON 02/16/2025 A UH-1D STRUCK IT'S TAIL AND TAIL ROTOR DURING A REPOSITIONING FLIGHT AT DELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (DED).  THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ACCIDENT VIA A FAA HOTLINE REPORT ON 9/4/2025.  WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RELOCATE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT FROM ONE SECTION OF THE AIRPORT TO THE WESTERN RAMP, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A HEAVY VERTICAL VIBRATION. THE VIBRATION WAS INITIALLY INDUCED DUE TO HIGH WIND GUSTS AT THE AIRPORT WHICH WERE MEASURED AT APPROXIMATELY 30 KTS. ADDITIONAL COLLECTIVE "BOUNCE" WAS INDUCED BY THE PILOTS LACK OF EXPEREINCE WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND HIS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT COLLECTIVE POSITION. THE PILOT FORCED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE GROUND WHICH CAUSE THE TAIL ROTOR TO STRIKE THE CONCRETE RAMP.  THE TAIL ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE RAMP SURFACE. THE ACCIDENT PILOT DID NOT HOLD A FAA ISSUED ROTORCRAFT CERTIFICATE TO OPERATED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT HOLDS AN EXPERIMENTAL - EXHIBITION AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE.  LINE FIVE (5) OF THE OPERATING LIMITATIONS OF THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE SPECIFICALL REQUIRE THE OPERTOR TO HOLD A VALID FAA ROTORCRAFT CERTIFICATE.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

## Other reports on N849DB (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20250818015689I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250818015689I), Aug 18, 2025: Bell Helicopter Corp UH-1D (N849DB), Deland, FL, Substantial damage. On 08/18/2025, the airman listed was operating a helicopter ([privacy data omitted]) at Deland municipal airport (ded). The pilot mismanaged the collective…

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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