Bell 407 accident near High Island 573, December 1, 2003
On December 1, 2003 at about 2:21 pm local time, a Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N457PH, was destroyed in an accident near High Island 573. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to the failure of the 3rd stage turbine wheel and subsequent catastrophic failure of the turbine assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 1, 2003 · about 2:21 pm local time
- Place
- High Island 573 · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N457PH · registry record · serial 53147
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter, which had a FADEC controlled turboshaft engine installed, was in cruise flight over open ocean water in the Gulf of Mexico when the 14,000-hour helicopter pilot radioed a brief MAYDAY distress call on an area operating frequency. Details of the in-flight emergency were not relayed by the pilot, and no further communications were heard. Three hours later, the pilot's body was found floating in the area the helicopter was operating. After 3 days of search, the submerged helicopter wreckage was recovered from approximately 240 feet of water. Deformations of the airframe, along with the lack of damage to the main rotor blades, showed evidence that the helicopter impacted the water at a high vertical rate with low rotor RPM. Teardown examination of the engine revealed a catastrophic failure of the power turbine assembly (N2). Metallurgical examinations by the NTSB and Rolls Royce revealed evidence that the 3rd stage turbine wheel airfoil(s) had failed. A root cause of the failure was not determined, and further testing was conducted at Rolls Royce. As a result of some of the dynamic test results, Rolls Royce issued several Commercial Engine Bulletins (CEBs) regarding inspection of in-service turbine assemblies. Additionally, Bell Helicopter issued an Alert Service Bulletin (ASB), which introduced flight manual revisions to avoid power turbine RPM (Np) steady state operation between 68% and 97%. After examinations of the airframe (fuel system, rotor systems, flight control systems, drive systems, electronic control systems), no anomalies were found other than within the power turbine assembly.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,191 hours in all; 844 in this make and model; 151 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 11,631 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,577 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 1, 2003; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C47B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE High Island 573 GM at 2:14 pm
- Destination: NONE High Island 264 GM
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N457PH 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.