Bell 407 accident near Fort Worth, Texas, September 15, 2020
On September 15, 2020 at about 9:53 pm local time, a 2004 Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N489DM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Fort Worth, Texas (Fort Worth 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s delay in rolling the throttle to the fly position during a practice autorotation maneuver that resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 2020 · about 9:53 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Fort Worth · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 No Series, built 2004 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N489DM · registry record · serial 53619
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a routine training flight, the helicopter was in the traffic pattern practicing power recovery auto-rotations, with the pilot under training at the flight controls. During the 5th practice auto-rotation, the flight instructor reduced the throttle, and the helicopter began a normal descent. During the deceleration flare, about 75 ft above ground level, the flight instructor heard the low rotor RPM audio tone. Using a positive transfer of control, the flight instructor quickly took the flight controls. He increased the throttle to what he believed to be the “FLY” position. The helicopter settled onto a taxiway. The main rotor blades severed the vertical fins on the horizontal stabilizer, and the tail rotor driveshaft was severed. The operator reported that the pilot did not rapidly roll the throttle to the “FLY” position during the deceleration/flare, and the helicopter contacted the ground at less than 100% rotor RPM. The operator stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Related operating info
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,300 hours in all; 912 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 9,290 as pilot in command; 2,505 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 28, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,017 hours in all; 135 in this make and model; 129 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 878 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 14, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,775 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2020; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royc 250-C47B (turboshaft); 1,430 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AFW Fort Worth TX at 8:55 pm
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from AFW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 12, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN20CA395 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array CEN20CA395 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.