Bell 430 accident near Gulf Of Mexico, July 11, 2005
On July 11, 2005 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Bell 430 (helicopter), registered N430CV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gulf Of Mexico. It was flown 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 helicopter's tail rotor blade's contact with an unknown object during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2005 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gulf Of Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 430 · all 430s on the register
- Registration
- N430CV · no longer on the register · serial 49072
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 17,291-hour commercial helicopter pilot was on short final approach to a helipad on an offshore platform when he heard and felt a "bump" in the flight controls, followed by vibrations in the tail rotor pedals and a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. The pilot immediately landed the helicopter and preformed a normal engine cool-down. Inspection of the helipad found no evidence of a tail rotor strike. A post-accident inspection of the studs, that hold the tail rotor gearbox to the tail boom, revealed signs of low-cycle bending fatigue. Additional inspection under a microscope of the studs, showed evidence of high loads during bending. The 90-degree tail rotor gear-box teeth, displayed typical wear pattern and did not show any sign of misalignment. One of the tail-rotor blades was heavily damaged and missing a portion of the outer blade. The remaining end of the blade was slightly torn and contained gray paint or material at the leading edge. The material was later examined, and found to contain a high concentration of zinc. Examination of paint chips in the impact area on the vertical fin showed no zinc in the paint. The object that impacted the tail rotor blade could not be identified or located during the course of the investigation.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,291 hours in all; 246 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 15,321 as pilot in command; 2,731 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,884 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 1, 2005
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce C-40B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Venice LA
- Destination: Gulf Of Mexico
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.