Bell 407 accident near Lancaster, Texas, February 27, 2009
On February 27, 2009 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N2592T, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain adequate main rotor rpm and the failure of the CFI to provide appropriate instruction during the maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2009 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lancaster, Texas · Lancaster Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N2592T · registry record · serial 53748
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was practicing a forced landing with a certified flight instructor (CFI) providing instruction. After the maneuver was initiated, the CFI recognized the helicopter was not settling quickly enough so he limited the amount of collective the commercial pilot could apply. As the helicopter slowed, the main rotor revolutions per minute (rpm) slowed. After the rear of the skids touched down the main rotor rpm continued to decay, and the front of the skids dropped eight to 10 inches onto the runway. During the landing two main rotor blades contacted both auxiliary fins on the tail boom. Examination of the damaged main rotor blades revealed substantial damage due to delamination and inner core damage on both blades.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Simulated/training event during maneuvering
- Autorotation Attempted remediation/recovery
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Issuing instructions › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,056 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 3,975 as pilot in command; 150 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 7, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 420 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 291 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 31, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 937 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 6, 2009
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: City Of Dallas
The flight
- Departed from: RBD Dallas Exec Air TX at 8:30 pm
- Destination: RBD Dallas Exec Air TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 31, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 12,000 ft; ovct at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:30 pm from RBD, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN09CA203.