Bell 430 incident near Venice, Louisiana, August 4, 2010
On August 4, 2010 at about 11:45 am local time, a Bell 430 (helicopter), registered N430CM, suffered minor damage in an incident during prior to flight near Venice, Louisiana. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fracture of the collective servo actuator piston rod resulting from stress corrosion cracking.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 2010 · about 11:45 am local time
- Place
- Venice, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 430 NO SERIES · all 430s on the register
- Registration
- N430CM · registry record · serial 49090
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 4, 2010, at 0645 central daylight time, a Bell Helicopter Textron 430 was on the ground at ground idle power conducting the engine start checklist when the collective went to the full up position. There were no injuries among the passengers and crew. Further inspection of the aircraft revealed that the main rotor collective servoactuator piston rod had fractured. No other airframe damage was noted. The collective servo actuator was examined in the Bell Helicopter Textron’s Field Investigations Laboratory. According to Bell Helicopter Textron, the servo actuator piston rod was found to be fractured as a result of stress corrosion cracking. In response to this incident, Bell Helicopter Textron issued a number of alert service bulletins to perform a one time inspection of the servo actuator piston rod prior to further flight. This service bulletin only applied to servo actuators manufactured by Woodward HRT. Since this same type of servo actuator was also used on other Bell Helicopter Textron helicopters, additional alert service bulletins were issued. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) incorporated these service bulletins’ recommended actions (with some minor revisions) in an Emergency Airworthiness Directive. The FAA’s emergency AD followed the issuance of an AD by Transport Canada.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during prior to flight defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › (general) › Malfunction
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,288 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 8, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 9,300 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Rolls Royce 250-C40B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rolls Royce 250-C40B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Chevron USA Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Venice LA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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.