- Date
- March 5, 2015, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Justin, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N41BHBell 407
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150305002659A
- Case key
- 90837
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
Abnormal ground contact during an autorotation demonstration, resulting in a severed tailrotor driveshaft.
Findings · 2
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 helicopter instructor was demonstrating a full down 180 degree auto rotation. He reported that everything was done normally and as he flared to slow the aircraft down, the tail skid lightly bumped the ground a couple of times. The skids eventually made contact with the ground and the helicopter slid about 20 feet to a stop. A post landing examination of the helicopter revealed that the main rotor blade had contacted the tailboom, severing the tailrotor drive shaft.
Factual narrative
The helicopter instructor was demonstrating a full down 180 degree auto rotation. He reported that everything was done normally and as he flared to slow the aircraft down, the tail skid lightly bumped the ground a couple of times. The skids eventually made contact with the ground and the helicopter slid about 20 feet to a stop. A post landing examination of the helicopter revealed that the main rotor blade had contacted the tailboom, severing the tailrotor drive shaft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41BH
- Reported as
- Bell 407 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 53183
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 4,905
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C47B, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
- Registered owner
- Bell Helicopter Textron Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 29, 2015
- Departed
- KAFW · Fort Worth, TX
- Destination
- KAFW · Fort Worth, TX
- Airport
- KAFW · Fort Worth Alliance Airport
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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 18, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,962 total · 1,280 in this make and model · 4,929 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Foreign
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.59 inHg
- Observed at
- KASW, 4 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 27, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.