Bell 407 accident near Tampa, Florida, June 22, 2021
On June 22, 2021 at about 1:45 am local time, a 2002 Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N512TP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Tampa, Florida (Tampa Exec airport). It was an instructional 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 pilot’s improper landing flare while making a power off practice autorotative landing. Contributing was the decreased visual cues provided by the recently paved runway during the night landing conducted with the aid of night vision goggles.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2021 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida · Tampa Exec · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407, built 2002 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N512TP · registry record · serial 53546
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and flight instructor were practicing straight-in, full touch down power off landings (autorotations) in the helicopter at night, with the aid of night vision goggles (NVGs). The pilot determined where on the runway he was going to land and entered the autorotation at an approximate airspeed of 60 knots. When the helicopter was about 90 to 100 ft above the ground, and the engine rpm was at 99-100%, he entered the flare. At the bottom of the flare, the pilot “bumped” up the collective to arrest the rate of descent and leveled out at what he thought was about 7-10 ft above the runway. At that point, the pilot said it felt like the bottom of the helicopter started to fall out from underneath him. He added more collective to arrest the sink rate, but it had no impact on stopping the vertical sink rate. The low rotor rpm horn sounded right before the helicopter landed hard on the runway. The impact was sufficient to flex the main rotor blades and sever the tail boom. The main rotor blades were also substantially damaged. . The operator reported there were no mechanical deficiencies of the helicopter that contributed to the accident. The runway had been recently paved and was very dark in color. The pilot had conducted “hundreds” of NVG power off landings to this runway in the past, but this was his first time after the runway had been re-paved. This was the flight instructor’s first time executing a practice NVG power off landing to this runway. As such, the visual cues that the pilot was used to experiencing had changed, and most likely affected his ability to judge the helicopter’s height and speed above the ground, which resulted in a higher-than-normal flair, low rotor rpm, and subsequent hard landing.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Visual illusion/disorientation › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,721 hours in all; 1,472 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 2,412 as pilot in command; 44 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 27, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,047 hours in all; 112 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 1,909 as pilot in command; 1,215 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 11, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,643 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 28, 2021; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-647B (turboshaft); 10,681 hours total
- Operator: City Of Tampa
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL at 1:18 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05/2, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 am from VDF
Weather report (METAR): KVDF 211215Z AUTO 17004KT 27/26 A3009 RMK AO2 PWINO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 14, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot and Instructor's Written Statements | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.