Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 accident near Norfolk, Nebraska, January 5, 2018
On January 5, 2018 at about 1:00 am local time, a 2014 Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407, registered N214AM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Norfolk, Nebraska. It was a positioning flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 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
Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly secure the tail rotor drive shaft cover, which resulted in the cover departing the helicopter in flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 2018 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Norfolk, Nebraska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 NO SERIES, built 2014 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N214AM · registry record · serial 54485
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and two medical crewmembers were on a return flight to a hospital helipad. During the approach to the helipad, the crew heard a noise outside the helicopter. The medical crewmembers reported they felt a slight "shudder" on the helicopter but attributed it to the wind as they approached the helipad. The pilot heard the noise, but there was no effect on the controls or flight characteristics, so he continued the landing without further incident. After engine shutdown, the oncoming pilot noticed that the helicopter's tail rotor drive shaft cover was missing. The surrounding area near the helicopter's approach path was searched, and the missing cover was found. An examination of the helicopter noted substantial damage to the tail rotor drive shaft. The day before the accident, scheduled maintenance was performed on the helicopter's tail rotor pitch change mechanism, which required removal of the drive shaft cover. The cover was reinstalled, and no problems were reported during a subsequent preflight inspection. It is likely that maintenance personnel did not properly secure the cover fasteners after the cover was reinstalled.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 3, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 5,501 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royc 250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Methods CORP
The flight
- Departed from: Omaha NE
- Destination: Norfolk NE
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
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 CEN18CA072.