Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 accident near Manhattan, New York, December 13, 2021
On December 13, 2021 at about 9:10 pm local time, a 2014 Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429, registered N920PD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Manhattan, New York (Downtown Manhattan/Wall St airport). It was a public-use flight (local) under public-use (government) rules. 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 pilots overapplication of flight controls during landing, which resulted in the rotor blades contacting the wire strike protection system and subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2021 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Manhattan, New York · Downtown Manhattan/Wall St · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429, built 2014 · all 429s on the register
- Registration
- N920PD · registry record · serial 57233
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (local) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during landing and once established directly over the helipad, he proceeded to hover taxi over to the assigned landing location, but during touchdown the helicopter unexpectedly shifted forward, rotating onto the front skids, then began to oscillate. The crew heard a loud “bang” and subsequently the helicopter became airborne briefly before settling down hard on the pavement and the helicopter started to go into ground resonance, becoming uncontrollable. The pilot reported that the helipad was congested with several other aircraft on the ground and two preparing to land, so when the helicopter became uncontrollable, he “dumped” the collective and rolled back the throttle. During the oscillations, the main rotor blades stuck the wire strike protection system, which resulted in substantial damage to the rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Ground resonance during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,432 hours in all; 531 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,158 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 24, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,520 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,350 as pilot in command; 447 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 6, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,680 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, December 8, 2021; 1.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Pratt And Whitney Canada PW207D1 (turboshaft); 3,682 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt And Whitney Canada PW207D1 (turboshaft); 3,682 hours total
- Operator: New York City Police Department
The flight
- Departed from: FBF Brooklyn NY at 8:40 pm
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from NYC, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KNYC 132151Z AUTO 23007KT 10SM CLR 11/M08 A3023 RMK AO2 SLP227 T01061078
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.
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 ERA22LA091.