Bell 407 accident near Fort Worth, Texas, September 23, 2009
On September 23, 2009 at about 8:40 pm local time, a Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N6040Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Fort Worth, Texas (Fort Worth Alliance airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
Failure of the pilot to maintain control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2009 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Fort Worth Alliance · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N6040Y · registry record · serial 53371
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was demonstrating a landing using the manual Full-Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) mode. While on short final, approximately 3 to 5 feet above ground level, the helicopter quickly descended right and forward. Suspecting wind shear, the flight instructor applied corrective controls but was unable to reverse the downward motion prior to ground contact. The helicopter's left rear skid, then right rear skid, contacted the ground before the flight instructor could bring the helicopter back to a hover. A postflight examination of the helicopter revealed damage to the vertical stabilizer and tail boom.
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
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 22,000 as pilot in command; 9,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 6, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: foreign licence
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,550 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,206 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 20, 2009; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royc 250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAFW Fort Worth TX at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from AFW, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N6040Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN09CA604.