Bell 407 incident near Raytown, Missouri, December 12, 2006
On December 12, 2006 at about 4:17 am local time, a Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N302LE, suffered minor damage in an incident near Raytown, Missouri. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power during cruise flight due to third stage turbine wheel blade fatigue and subsequent separation, which resulted in an emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2006 · about 4:17 am local time
- Place
- Raytown, Missouri · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N302LE · registry record · serial 53572
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The air ambulance helicopter executed an emergency landing on an elementary school parking lot following a loss of engine power. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The pilot stated that he heard a bang and got a low frequency vibration during cruise flight. The helicopter received minor damage due to internal engine components exiting the engine collector and exhaust stack. Examination of the third stage turbine wheel noted high cycle fatigue features on the fracture surface of one of the blades. The fatigue initiated at the trailing edge of the airfoil and propagated 0.515 inch before a fast fracture separation. Although a small area of porosity was observed in the microstructure adjacent to the fracture, it did not intersect the fracture surface, and no evidence of porosity was observed on the fracture surface. Chemistry and hardness were as specified. Given the high cycle features, good material properties, and lack of a stress-concentrating defect at the origin, the fatigue could be secondary to some other event that produced unusual loading or vibrations in the blade.
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
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,525 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 6,225 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,865 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce Turbomeca 250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cj Systems Aviation Group, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Clinton MO at 3:54 am
- Destination: Kansas City MO
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from MKC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| 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.