Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 N620PA

Summary

On 20 November 2017 at about 00:55 local time, a Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 registered N620PA, operated by Air Methods Corp, was involved in an accident near Stuttgart, Arkansas, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 November 2017 at 00:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Stuttgart, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.2844, -91.5439

Aircraft

Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407

Registration

N620PA

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Air Methods Corp

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pines Bluff → Helena

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CEN18FA033

3 people died.

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

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

Read the full 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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.