# Accident 20260410004549A: Bell 407, Jacksonville, FL, April 10, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 10, 2026, 20:20 local time
- Place: Jacksonville, FL
- Airport: Craig Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.3379° N, 81.5143° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.3379&lon=-81.5143&mi=10
- Aircraft: N314JP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N314JP) (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
- Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC 250-C47B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 647 total, 205 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA26LA170](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA170) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260410004549A

## Narrative

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

WHILE CONDUCTING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES TRAINING (PRACTICE AUTOROTATION’S) WITH A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR THE PILOT FLYING (PF) ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION TO A HARD SURFACED RUNWAY WHILE UNDER NIGHT VISION GOGGLES. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH LITTLE FORWARD SPEED AND SLIGHTLY HARDER THAN PLANNED AND THE PF INADVERTENTLY APPLIED AFT CYCLIC. THE COMBINATION OF AFT CYCLIC AND THE ROUGH LANDING CAUSED THE ROTOR SYSTEM TO FLEX DOWN AND CONTACT THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN TAIL BOOM SEPARATION AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE CFI/PILOT NOT FLYING PROVIDING THE CONTRACTED TRAINING FAILED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO PREVENT THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 ERA26LA170](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA170), Apr 11, 2026: Bell 407 (N314JP), Jacksonville, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving…

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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