Mcdonnell Douglas 600N accident near Vicksburg, Mississippi, February 6, 2007
On February 6, 2007 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 600N (helicopter), registered N451DL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vicksburg, Mississippi (Vicksburg Municipal Airport). 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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as result of a fuel transfer check valve stuck in the closed position. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2007 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Vicksburg, Mississippi · Vicksburg Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 600N
- Registration
- N451DL · no longer on the register · serial RN042
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter landed hard following a loss of engine power during cruise flight. The pilot was en route to refuel his single-engine turbo-shaft powered helicopter. The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report (NTSB form 6120.1) that the aircraft was in cruise flight at an indicated airspeed of 115 knots while at 500 feet above ground level when the engine lost power without warning. The pilot added that following the loss of engine power, he immediately entered autorotation and landed on a logging road surrounded by tall trees. The aircraft sustained structural damage to the tailboom and main rotor blades during the forced landing. The helicopter came to rest in the upright position. A detailed investigation was conducted on the fuel system by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a representative from the helicopter manufacturer. Their investigation revealed that a fuel transfer check valve located in the aft section of the fuel tank that receives fuel from the forward section of the fuel tank, was found stuck in the closed position, which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,337 hours in all; 209 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 3,140 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 892 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2006; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,850 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C47M (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GNF Granada MS
- Destination: KTVR Vicksburg MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KTVR, 15 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.
Other NTSB records under N451DL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.