Pilot Debrief

BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 407 near Stuttgart, AR — 2017-11-20

Final reportCEN18FA033
Sign in to save
Date
2017-11-20
Location
Stuttgart, AR, USA
Aircraft
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 407
Registration
N620PA
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
3
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

An in-flight loss of control due to bird strikes.

NTSB narrative

The helicopter air ambulance flight was en route to pick up a patient when company satellite tracking was lost at an altitude about 1,250 ft mean sea level. The helicopter impacted a reservoir bank and a postimpact fire consumed a majority of the fuselage. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. A postaccident examination of the wreckage found multiple bird remains, identified as snow geese, were located in the cockpit and embedded in the pilot's clothing and boot. Fragments of a night vision goggle (NVG) system near the pilot's position suggest that the pilot was using them for visual navigation; however, there was no moon illumination to enhance the NVG effectiveness, and it is unlikely that the pilot would have been able to visually detect the birds before impact. While the helicopter flight controls were continuous, it could not be determined if the bird strikes jammed the pilot's controls and/or incapacitated the pilot.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Environmental
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided flight in known bird strike area at dusk.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

Related mishaps