Bell 407 accident near Cameron, Louisiana, October 30, 2015
On October 30, 2015 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 2007 Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N420PH, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) start-up) near Cameron, Louisiana (West Cameron 167 airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to remove a main rotor blade tiedown, which resulted in substantial damage to a main rotor blade when the engine was started.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2015 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cameron, Louisiana · West Cameron 167 · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 NO SERIES, built 2007 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N420PH · registry record · serial 53747
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that the pilot landed and shutdown the helicopter on an offshore platform. He secured the main rotor system by attaching a tiedown to the forward left main rotor blade and he then attached this tiedown to the left front skid cross tube. Several hours later, the pilot entered the right front seat to begin the engine start sequence. The operator reported that the pilot proceeded to start the engine and noted a few seconds after initiating the engine start that the helicopter made an "unusual noise" and began to shake. The pilot then shut down the helicopter without further incident. A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the blue main rotor blade. The operator reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Aircraft structural failure during standing (engine(s) start-up)
- Part(s) separation from AC during standing (engine(s) start-up) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,104 hours in all; 313 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 1,918 as pilot in command; 607 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 21, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,015.9 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 17, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C47B (turboshaft); 7,801 hours total
- Operator: Phi INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 149 Cameron LA at 1:41 pm
- Destination: 167 Cameron LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from KVBS, 11 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.
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.