Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 accident near Eden, NC
On April 28, 2021, a Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Eden, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 28, 2021
- Place
- Eden, NC
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.497°N, 79.719°W
- NTSB ID
- 20210428102994
Official records · ERA21FA195
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On April 28, 2021, about 1324 eastern standard time, a Bell 429 helicopter, N53DE, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Eden, North Carolina. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and two passengers were seriously injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight. The helicopter was equipped with a GPMS Foresight MX Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS), which captured data for the accident flight. The HUMS device recorded position, attitude, acceleration, rotor speed (Nr), and engine data. The HUMS data showed the helicopter departed Danville, Virginia, about 1233 and flew cross-country south-west into North Carolina. By 1245, the helicopter was flying a powerline patrol around Eden, North Carolina. The powerline inspection was accomplished at an altitude of about 100 ft above the terrain with the helicopter gaining altitude during turns and when flying between line inspections. During the final minutes of flight, the helicopter was traveling at an airspeed between 50 and 60 kts parallel to powerlines at an altitude between 700 and 775 ft msl (Figure 1). Nr was near 100%, torque varied between 15% and 25%, and the engine gas generator (N1) speeds were between 84 and 88%. Figure 1- Combined map of flight track with corresponding flight parameters. A utility lineman seated in the front left seat recalled that the pilot was reversing course and the helicopter was in a banking turn to the right when he heard a very loud noise, “almost cannon-like, very deep, [and] within a second or two we
Probable cause
The impact of the main rotor blades with the tail boom during low-altitude maneuvers, which severed the tail rotor drive shaft and resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
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Browse: North Carolina
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
