# NTSB FTW04LA117: Bell 407, N407BP, Hurst, TX, April 27, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 27, 2004, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC) - Place: Hurst, TX - Coordinates: 32.799999, -97.166946 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8000&lon=-97.1669&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 29, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 59124 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW04LA117 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59124/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04LA117 ## Probable cause The student pilot's excessive flare prior to touchdown during the practice autorotation which resulted in the tailboom stinger striking the ground. A contributing factor was the flight instructor's delay to take remedial action. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Dragged wing,rotor,pod,float or tail/skid, landing - flare/touchdown - autorotation - simulated, dual student - flare - excessive, dual student (cause) - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) ## Analysis During a recurrent training flight, the 1,413-hour commercial pilot who was receiving the training, and was at the controls, initiated a full-touchdown practice autorotation in the single engine helicopter. During the landing "flare," just prior to touchdown, the helicopter’s pitch attitude became "excessively" nose high. Subsequently, the tailboom stinger struck the ground, which resulted in structural damage to the tailboom. The 13,200-hour CFI stated that he was "unable to correct the aircraft attitude" before the stinger struck the ground. The helicopter was operating normally during the flight, and post-accident examination of the flight controls did not reveal anomalies that could have contributed to the accident. ## Factual narrative On April 27, 2004, at 1130 central daylight time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N407BP, registered to Textron Financial Corp, of Wichita, Kansas, and operated by the Bell Training Academy, of Hurst, Texas, was substantially damaged during a practice autorotation at the Bell Helicopter Flight Training Facility (OTE2), near Hurst, Texas. The flight instructor (CFI) and the commercial pilot who was receiving recurrent training were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local flight originated from OTE2 at 1030. The 13,200-hour CFI reported on the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) that during the flight, the 1,413-hour pilot who was receiving instruction and was at the controls, initiated a practice, full-touchdown autorotation. During the cyclic "flare," just prior to touchdown, the helicopter’s pitch attitude became "excessively" nose high. Subsequently, the tailboom stinger struck the ground. The CFI stated that he was "unable to correct the aircraft attitude" before the stinger struck the ground. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who responded to the site of the accident, revealed that three of the five Thomas couplings on the tail-rotor drive shaft were compressed. Multiple wrinkles were observed along the length of the tail boom. The tail stinger was bent upward. The helicopter was operating normally during the flight, and post-accident examination of the flight controls did not reveal anamalies that could have contributed to the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N407BP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N407BP), registered now, S/N 53355, built 1999 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bell 407 - Registry model: [Bell 407](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-407) (registry code 1182206) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Allison 250-C47 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c47-series) (registry code 03029, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 53355 - Airframe hours: 2222.6 - Engines: Rolls Royce 250C47B 650 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Bell Training Academy - Registered owner: Textron Financial Corp - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, April 23, 2004, 2,215.4 hours before - Departed: OTE2, HURST, TX - Airport: OTE2, Bell Hurst Training Facility ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 53; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 13,200 total, 750 in this make and model, 11 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 1,413 total, 107 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.27 inHg - Observed at: DFW, 9 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). - [Accident 20040427010949A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040427010949A), Apr 27, 2004: Bell 407, Fort Worth, TX, Minor damage. (-23) On April 27, 2004 at 11:30AM, a Bell helicopter Textron, model 407, N407BP, owned by Textron financial corp. was damaged while conducting an autorotation… 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.