Bell 407 N234BH

Summary

On 5 June 2000 at about 04:30 local time, a Bell 407 registered N234BH was involved in an accident near Lake Placid, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 June 2000 at 04:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lake Placid, Florida, United States

Coordinates

27.2893, -81.3607

Aircraft

Bell 407

Registration

N234BH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Avon Park → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL00LA058

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to establish/maintain a safe rate of descent during approach to landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's incorrect altimeter (Kollsman) setting, smoke, and dark night conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was circling the helicopter at an indicated altitude of 1,000 ft. msl while performing an aerial survey of wild fires during the night. Visibility in the area was limited due to smoke present from the fires. After circling for 25 minutes, the pilot initiated an approach to a grass landing zone. The passenger was calling out altitudes every 50 ft. while the pilot verified the call outs. Shortly after the passenger called out 450 ft., the helicopter impacted the ground while traveling at a speed of 35 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or component failures with the helicopter. In an interview following the accident, the pilot reported that the altimeter setting was approximately 300 feet off. The remote area in which he was flying was very dark with limited lighting.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.