BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 407
Abbeville, LA, May 23, 2023
Event Information
| Date | May 23, 2023 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| Location | Abbeville, LA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 29.97515, -92.08474 |
| Airport | ABBEVILLE CHRIS CRUSTA MEML |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
| NTSB Number | CEN23LA199 |
| Event ID | 20230523192228 |
Aircraft
| Make | BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA |
| Model | 407 |
| Registration # | N451PH |
| Operator | PHI, Inc. |
| Owner | PHI AVIATION LLC |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain proper helicopter control during autorotation that resulted in an abnormal ground contact which caused the subsequent main rotor strike on the tail boom that severed the tail rotor driveshaft. Contributing to the accident was the main rotor blowback condition, due to the aft tilting of the main rotor disk.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.