Bell 430 accident near Kurnoon, In, September 2, 2009
On September 2, 2009 at about 3:43 am local time, a Bell 430 (helicopter), registered VTAPG, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Kurnoon. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 5 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2009 · about 3:43 am local time
- Place
- Kurnoon, India
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 430 · all 430s on the register
- Registration
- VTAPG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 2, 2009, at approximately 0343 UTC, a Government of Andhra Pradesh Gad (Poll "c") Bell 430 helicopter crashed enroute to Chitoor, India from Hyderabad, India. There were 2 crew members and 3 passengers, including the Secretariat of Hyderabad on board. The helicopter was destroyed and there are no reported survivors. The investigation is being conducting by the Central Government of India. The NTSB has designated a U.S. Accredited Representative as the state of manufacture of the engines. All inquiries related to this investigation should be directed to: Office of the Director General of Civil Aviation DGCA Complex Opposite Safdarjung Airport New Delhi 110003 India
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Hyderabad
- Destination: Chitoor
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.