# NTSB CEN12IA518: Bell 407, N429PH, San Antonio, TX, August 5, 2012 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: August 5, 2012, 03:31 local (08:31 UTC) - Place: San Antonio, TX - Coordinates: 29.273332, -98.2425 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.2733&lon=-98.2425&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Part(s) separation from AC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 7, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA San Antonio FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 84575 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12IA518 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84575/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84575 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12IA518 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tower guy wire during the approach to a helipad at night. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Bell 407, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=1182206), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide path](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Bell 407, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md?model=1182206), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040/cases.md) - [Light condition: dark](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Bell 407, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020/cases.md?model=1182206), [All aircraft, 448 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Bell 407, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=1182206), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Approach: Part(s) separation from AC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338) (defining event); cases with it: [Bell 407, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338/sequence.md?model=1182206), [All aircraft, 563 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338/sequence.md) ## Analysis The helicopter was on a visual descent at night to a hospital helipad when its left skid struck a tower guy wire, which resulted in a portion of the left skid separating from the helicopter. The pilot declared an emergency and diverted to a nearby airport. The operator reported no preincident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative On August 5, 2012, at 0331 central daylight time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N429PH, sustained minor damage when it contacted a tower guy wire while it was on approach to the helipad at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC), San Antonio, Texas. The pilot, flight nurse, flight paramedic, and patient were not injured. The emergency medical services EMS helicopter was registered to and operated by PHI, Inc., under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was on a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. The flight departed from the College Station Medical Center, College Station, Texas, at 0302. The operator reported that the helicopter was on a visual descent to the SAMMC helipad when the helicopter's left skid contacted a tower guy wire, located northeast of the helipad, which resulted in a portion of the left skid separating from the helicopter. The pilot declared an emergency and diverted to the San Antonio International Airport (SAT), San Antonio, Texas. The operator reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the helicopter before the incident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N429PH](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N429PH), registered now, S/N 53772, built 2007 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 407 - Registry model: [Bell 407](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-407) (registry code 1182206) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce 250-C47B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c47b) (registry code 54585, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 53772 - Airframe hours: 1686 - Engines: ROLLS-ROYC 250-C47B 710 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Phi Inc - Registered owner: Phi Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, July 4, 2012 - Departed: CLL, College Station, TX - Destination: SAMC, San Antonio, TX - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: SAMC, San Antonio Military Medical ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 10, 2011; seat: right; flight hours: 3,308 total, 668 in this make and model, 3,165 as pilot in command, 48 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 160° at 10 knots, gusting 15 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 73 °F - Observed at: SAT, 6 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20120805018919I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120805018919I), Aug 5, 2012: Bell 407, San Antonio, TX, Minor damage. On approach to San Antonio military medical center, San Antonio Texas, at night the pilot flipped his night goggles to the up position due to the glare of the… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84575. 7.9 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40414273&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - SAMMC SOP Guide to Pilots (item 2, .PDF, 4.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40414274&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=SAMMC%20SOP%20Guide%20to%20Pilots-Redacted.PDF 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.