Summary
On May 23, 2023, a Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 (N451PH) was involved in an incident near Abbeville, LA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: 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.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN23LA199. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N451PH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
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.
Aircraft Information
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN23LA199