Bell 407 accident near Decatur, Texas, September 16, 2025
On September 16, 2025 at about 2:15 am local time, a 1997 Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N407WA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Decatur, Texas (Decatur Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The instructor candidate’s erroneous operation of the throttle during an autorotation from altitude with power recovery, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2025 · about 2:15 am local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Decatur, Texas · Decatur Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407, built 1997 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N407WA · registry record · serial 53222
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that a hard landing occurred during a night training flight that was conducted for a newly hired helicopter pilot and a company flight instructor candidate. The training was being conducted by the flight instructor candidate while both pilots were being observed by a company flight instructor from the right rear seat. After conducting numerous other training events during the flight, the flight instructor announced to the pilot-under-instruction that the next event was going to be a straight in autorotation from altitude with a power recovery. The instructor then briefed the pilot-under-instruction on how the maneuver was to be conducted. During the descent the pilot-under-instruction initiated deceleration using aft cyclic. The instructor began increasing the throttle to the maximum position. However, the instructor noticed that the rpm was about 95% and he believed the engine had not responded appropriately. He then responded by moving the throttle towards the idle position. Recognizing his mistake, he then attempted to correct by increasing the throttle back to maximum power. After this he focused his attention outside the cockpit due to the low altitude. Shortly after the pilot-under-instruction recalled hearing the instructor say something to the effect, it’s not recoverable, prepare for impact. He attempted to arrest the decent before impact but was unsuccessful. The helicopter subsequently impacted the runway and came to rest on the lower fuselage which resulted in substantial damage to the tail boom. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,690 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 2,490 as pilot in command; 640 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 14, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 21,331 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 2,151 as pilot in command; 1,400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot (unmanned)
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Flight time: 3,400 hours in all
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,949.6 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 15, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C47B (turboshaft); 8,995 hours total
- Operator: Med-Trans CORP
The flight
- Departed from: KDTO Denton TX at 1:00 am
- Destination: KLUD Decatur TX
- Runway 17, 4,200 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from KLUD
Weather report (METAR): METAR KLUD 160215Z AUTO 12004KT 7SM CLR 27/16 A3006 RMK AO2 T02650160=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | |||
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Accident site
Photograph 2 – Accident site
Photograph 3 – Structural damage
Photograph 4 – Windshield damageThe 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 November 4, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | 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
- N407WA on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell 407 985 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,081 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C47B 536 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Decatur Municipal · nearest airport
- Denton Enterprise Airport · departed from
- Decatur Municipal · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,985 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN25LA380.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.