Bell 407 accident near Moran Junction, WY
On February 15, 2012, a Bell 407 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Moran Junction, WY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 15, 2012
- Place
- Moran Junction, WY
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 43.726°N, 110.200°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120216X03340
Official records · WPR12GA106
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Record of Communication – CAP Pilot: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Record of Communication – TIDC: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Record of Communication – Weather: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 15, 2012, about 1301 mountain standard time, a Bell Helicopter model 407, N407HL, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain in the Bridger Teton National Forest near Moran Junction, Wyoming, during a search and rescue (SAR) mission. The commercial pilot and one SAR crewmember received serious injuries, and the other SAR crewmember received fatal injuries. The public-use flight was operated by the Teton County Sheriff's Office (TCSO). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight plan was filed for the flight. The mission was in response to a reported snowmobile injury accident, in order to transport medical personnel to that scene. Initial attempts to locate that victim, based on trail network and geographic coordinate information, were unsuccessful. The helicopter began a search, and the crew observed two snowmobilers signaling to them in a meadow. The helicopter landed in the meadow, and a SAR member exited and spoke with the snowmobilers. They were from the victim's party, and they agreed to lead the helicopter on their snowmobiles to the accident site. The SAR member re-boarded the helicopter, the helicopter lifted off to follow the snowmobilers, flying about 100 to 200 feet above the trees. Since the helicopter was faster than the snowmobiles, the pilot stopped two or three times in a hover to allow the snowmobiles to catch up. On either the second or third hover, the pilot experienced a slight left yaw, which he believed he corrected. The helicopter then started "spinnin
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain yaw control while hovering at high density altitude, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
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Browse: Wyoming · Bell aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
