Bell 407 accident near Bow, New Hampshire, December 22, 2008
On December 22, 2008 at about 9:04 pm local time, a Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N407GB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Bow, New Hampshire. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An interruption of fuel flow for undetermined reasons, which resulted in an engine flameout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2008 · about 9:04 pm local time
- Place
- Bow, New Hampshire · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N407GB · no longer on the register · serial 53584
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Two days before the accident, the helicopter landed at an airport due to en route snow. On the day of the accident, company personnel spent about 5 hours cleaning and deicing it. The pilot subsequently conducted multiple ground and air taxi runs before departing toward his home heliport. About 45 minutes into the flight, when the helicopter was about 900 feet over tree-covered terrain, the engine lost power. The pilot then performed an approximately 180-degree autorotation to a curved street. The helicopter landed hard and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Prior to the loss of engine power, the pilot did not observe any caution or warning lights, and the FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) remained in the automatic mode. The pilot also noted no unusual noises or yawing of the helicopter prior to the loss of engine power. A subsequent download of the helicopter's incident recorder revealed "Engine Flameout," "Nr Droop," and "Ng Exceedance Low" faults. It also indicated that when the flameout detection occurred, "Fuel Enable" and "Auto Relight" functions became active. Subsequent examinations of the airframe, including the fuel supply system, revealed no anomalies that would have resulted in a flameout. The electronic control unit was downloaded, with no faults noted. The electronic control unit and the hydro mechanical unit were examined with no anomalies noted. The engine was mounted in a test cell and successfully run with no discrepancies noted. During a later engine test run, the fuel was intentionally shut off through a solenoid, and except for rotor rpm, the incident recorder indicated the same faults as noted in the accident sequence, confirming that the loss of engine power likely occurred due to an interruption of fuel flow for undetermined reasons.
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
- Fuel related during enroute defining event
- Engine shutdown during enroute
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Malfunction
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,151 hours in all; 1,024 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 3, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 889 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 8, 2008; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Jbi Helicopter Services, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: LZD Danielson CT at 8:18 pm
- Destination: NH33 Pembroke NH
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 13 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from CON, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.