- Date
- April 10, 2026, 20:22 local (Apr 11, 2026, 00:22 UTC)
- Place
- Jacksonville, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N314JPBell 407
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260410004549A
- Case key
- 202820
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 the instruction.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot and flight instructor were conducting a helicopter training flight using night vision goggles. The training included multiple hovering and straight-in touchdown autorotation maneuvers. The flight instructor stated that during the last touchdown autorotation landing the approach was normal. He continued that the pilot conducted a good deceleration flare but applied the initial collective too early resulting in rotor rpm decay. The helicopter landed hard on the heel of the skids while applying aft cyclic. The main rotor blades contacted both vertical stabilizers and the tailboom resulting in substantial damage. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N314JP
- Reported as
- Bell 407
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 53587
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 6,901
- Engine
- Rolls-Royc 250-C47B, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Public use
- Operator
- City Of Jacksonville, doing business as Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
- Registered owner
- City Of Jacksonville
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 6, 2026 · 12 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- CRG · Jacksonville Exec At Craig, runway 05, 4,004 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 12, 2026
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 644 total · 205 in this make and model · 455 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,500 total · 350 in this make and model · 5,300 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- CRG, 10 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCRG 102353Z 05007KT 10SM OVC060 19/16 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP246 T01940161 10244 20194 53001
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 29, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.