Bell Helicopter 407 accident near Schoolcraft, Michigan, May 22, 2001
On May 22, 2001 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Bell Helicopter 407, registered N5259N, was involved in an accident near Schoolcraft, Michigan. It was a business 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 pilot rated passenger failed to maintain clearance with the rotor blades as he exited the helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2001 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Schoolcraft, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter 407 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N5259N · registry record · serial 53192
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A pilot rated passenger who had been seated in the rear of the helicopter was fatally injured when he was struck by the main rotor blade upon exiting the helicopter. The helicopter was flown to the rear seat passengers residence and was landed on a low trailer, approximately 8 inches high. The pilot who had flow the helicopter to this location had been seated in the front right seat. The left front seat was occupied by another pilot and the pilot rated passenger was in the right rear seat. After landing, the right seat pilot and the passenger in the rear exited the helicopter. The left seat pilot held the controls waiting for the other two occupants to exit so he could fly the helicopter to another location. The left seat pilot reported that the passenger exited the right rear side of the helicopter and as the passenger neared the two-thirty position of the helicopter, he saw him falling forward. He reported the passenger fell to the ground and never moved. He reported he then shut down the engine and applied the rotor brake. The fatally injured passenger was a helicopter pilot. His family reported that he had been flying airplanes since the 1960's and had been a helicopter pilot since 1988.
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
Pilot
- Flight time: 6,188 hours in all; 320 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 591 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 5, 2001; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison A250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HHG Huntington IN at 8:00 pm
- Destination: Schoolcraft MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 600 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from AZO, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
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.