- Date
- April 29, 2026, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Young, AZ · mountainous terrain
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N407BBBell 407
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 1, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260429004799A
- Case key
- 202911
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 failure to maintain clearance from a tree stump during landing in mountainous terrain.
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 reported that during a personal flight in the helicopter, he made an approach to land in mountainous terrain. While landing, the tail rotor and vertical stabilizer struck tree stump and the helicopter touched down on the uneven surface and came to rest upright. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N407BB
- Reported as
- Bell 407
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 53603
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 5,350
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C47B, 675 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bravo Bravo LLC
- Registered owner
- Bravo Bravo LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- P19 · Chandler, AZ
- Airport
- NA
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 29, 2026
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 5,300 in this make and model · 5,950 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KPAN, 13 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KPAN 291455Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 15/M07 A3014 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.8 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.