Bell 407 accident near Delray Beach, Florida, March 23, 2012
On March 23, 2012 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N31PB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Delray Beach, Florida. It was a public-use flight (local) under public-use (government) rules. 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper response to a simulated engine failure and the instructor’s delayed and improper remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2012 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Delray Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N31PB · no longer on the register · serial 53569
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (local) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight during the law enforcement aerial surveillance and evaluation flight, the instructor induced a simulated engine failure. The pilot being evaluated rolled the throttle from the idle position back to the flight position instead of lowering the collective to maintain rotor rpm. The instructor then took control of the helicopter, but he did not lower the collective either, and the main rotor rpm subsequently decayed to well below the lower limit of the normal operating range. The low-rotor condition resulted in a loss of helicopter control and glide capability and a subsequent hard landing in trees. Examination of the flight department's training program revealed that the conditions and standards for the performance of a simulated engine failure were not outlined as a separate task within the manual and that the manual did not provide information regarding entry altitudes, callouts, recovery altitudes and procedures, or maneuver termination protocols. The instructor reported no mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Simulated/training event during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of lift defining event
- Autorotation Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Instructor/check pilot
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › Upgrade training › Operator
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,482 hours in all; 1,844 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,283 as pilot in command; 45 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 13, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,040 hours in all; 470 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 450 as pilot in command; 51 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,201 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 8, 2012; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royc 250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office
The flight
- Departed from: PBI West Palm Beach FL at 6:05 pm
- Destination: PBI West Palm Beach FL
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PBI, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N31PB 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.