Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 accident near Batavia, New York, October 7, 2021
On October 7, 2021 at about 1:16 am local time, a 2010 Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429, registered N505TJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Batavia, New York (Genesee County airport). It was a positioning flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to disengage the autopilot prior to climbing out of a fog bank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 2021 · about 1:16 am local time
- Place
- Batavia, New York · Genesee County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429, built 2010 · all 429s on the register
- Registration
- N505TJ · registry record · serial 57029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he decided to perform a practice approach to the runway using night vision goggles. He set up the approach and activated the autopilot. About 200 ft above the ground, the helicopter inadvertently entered a fog bank and the pilot lost visual reference to the runway. He attempted to perform a climbing right turn but forgot to deactivate the autopilot. The autopilot initiated a descent into the fog, the pilot maintained a level attitude, and shortly thereafter the helicopter impacted the ground and bounced. The pilot attempted to initiate a climb; however, the helicopter impacted the ground a second time, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Auto flight system › Autopilot system › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Fog › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, flight engineer, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,583 hours in all; 621 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 3,583 as pilot in command; 387 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 23, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,860 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 28, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PW207D1 (turboshaft); 2,860 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PW207D1 (turboshaft); 2,860 hours total
- Operator: Mercy Flight INC
The flight
- Departed from: ROC Rochester NY at 1:00 am
- Runway 10/2, 5,499 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Observation at 8:54 pm from GVQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 ERA22LA007.