Bell 407 accident near Bath, New York, August 31, 2012
On August 31, 2012 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N11SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bath, New York. It was a public-use flight (state) under public-use (government) rules. 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper recovery from an in-flight upset, which resulted in the main rotor striking and separating the tail boom. Contributing to the accident was the helicopter manufacturer's failure to warn pilots of unanticipated and unequal aft cyclic pressure in the single-pilot configured helicopter compared to the dual-pilot configured helicopter, which resulted in the in-flight upset when the pilot momentarily let go of the cyclic control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2012 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bath, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N11SP · registry record · serial 53530
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (state) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the accident helicopter was configured for single-pilot operation (the copilot controls had been removed for the assigned mission). While in cruise flight between 110 and 120 knots and about 2,500 feet mean sea level, the helicopter began pitching up and yawing right, because the force trim was the "off" position, which rendered the altitude hold feature inoperative, and the pilot responded by pushing the cyclic forward and left. The helicopter then pitched "severely" nose down and entered a right spin. At that time, the pilot saw a portion of the tail boom, tail rotor, and tail rotor gearbox falling away separately from the helicopter. The pilot entered an autorotation and landed in wooded terrain. About 1 year after the accident, another pilot for the operator performed a maintenance test flight in a similarly configured make and model helicopter. While in cruise flight and with the force trim in the "off" position, the pilot released the cyclic momentarily, and the helicopter pitched up and rolled right. The flight scenario was duplicated several times with the copilot controls installed on the helicopter and, when the pilot released the cyclic, it maintained its same relative position, even with the force trim in the "off" position. Therefore, it appears that aerodynamic forces drove the cyclic aft in the single-pilot configured helicopter because the added weight and lever arm in a dual-pilot configured helicopter was not available to neutralize the forces. The manufacturer should have known about this characteristic of the helicopter and warned pilots of unanticipated and unequal aft cyclic pressure in the single-pilot configured helicopter compared to the dual-pilot configured helicopter. Detailed examination and testing of the helicopter and its components revealed no preaccident anomalies and no evidence of foreign object damage.
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
- Inflight upset during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Abrupt maneuver during enroute (cruise)
- Miscellaneous/other during enroute (cruise)
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Main rotor system › (general) › Unneccessary use/operation
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Selection/certification/testing › Document/info verification › Manufacturer
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Related operating info
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,600 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,918 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 6, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: State Of New York
The flight
- Departed from: GVQ Batavia NY at 11:30 am
- Destination: GVQ Batavia NY
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from ELM, 22 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA12TA538.