Bell 407 accident near Searcy, Arkansas, November 19, 2022
On November 19, 2022 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1996 Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N184SF, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Searcy, Arkansas (Unity Health Specialty Care airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the electrical box while repositioning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2022 · about 10:00 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Searcy, Arkansas · Unity Health Specialty Care · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407, built 1996 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N184SF · registry record · serial 53087
- 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 reported that he was repositioning the helicopter on the helipad to refuel. During the maneuver, the helicopter drifted aft and the tailrotor struck an electrical box. The helicopter lost tail rotor authority and landed hard on the skids. The tailrotor driveshaft, gearbox, and driveshaft sustained substantial damage. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (hover) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Airport structure › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,433 hours in all; 382 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 2,076 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 19, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,837.7 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 29, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royc 250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Viking Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: AR45 Little Rock AR at 9:43 pm
- Destination: AR78 Searcy AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.35 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from KSRC, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSRC 192256Z AUTO 25006KT 10SM CLR 07/M09 A3035 RMK AO2 SLP279 T00671094
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
Photographs from the investigation 6 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 2 – Tail Rotor Gearbox Mounting Surface (Photo
Photo 3 – Landing Skid Removed from Accident Helicopter (Photo
Photo 4 – Damaged Tail Rotor (Photo
Photo 5 - Tail Rotor Gearbox and Fractured Mounting Surface (Photo
Photo 7 – Electrical Box Struck by Tail Rotor (Photo
Photo 8 – Accident Site (PhotoThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 15, 2023. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 8 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N184SF on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell 407 984 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,080 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls-Royc 250-C47B 536 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Unity Health Specialty Care Heliport · nearest airport
- St. Vincent Infirmary Heliport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Arkansas 1,582 since 1982 · 177 in the last ten years
- Arkansas 3,494 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN23LA053.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.