Bell 407 accident near Whitley City, Kentucky, November 12, 2001
On November 12, 2001 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N11HX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Whitley City, Kentucky. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots decision to operate the helicopter at an airspeed in excess of the maximum demonstrated stable airspeed for the water bucket. A factor in the accident was the pilot did not follow the published emergency procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 2001 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Whitley City, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N11HX · registry record · serial 53471
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a fire suppression flight. While indicating approximately 100 knots of airspeed, with an empty water bucket that was occasionally unstable during the flight, the pilot heard a "bang." The helicopter yawed to the right, and the tail rotor quit spinning. The pilot jettisoned the bucket, and because there was no place to land, he continued to the dip-point. At the dip-point, the pilot selected an open area. The area was sloped, but the pilot was uncertain of the airworthiness of the helicopter and did not want to look for another area. He entered a "needles joined autorotation." As the helicopter slowed, it started to spin to the right. The spin stopped, the helicopter impacted the ground, and then rolled onto its right side with little or no power applied to the main rotor. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the bucket had entered the arc of the tail rotor, and that the tail-rotor driveshaft was severed consistent with overload. The operating manual for the bucket stated that the bucket had been proven stable up to an airspeed of approximately 96 knots, and that a bucket with a overall length greater than the distance from the cargo hook to the front arc of the tail rotor could result in a tail rotor strike. The emergency procedure for a complete loss of tail rotor thrust in-flight was reduce throttle to idle, and immediately enter autorotation. If a suitable landing site was not available, the vertical fin may permit controlled flight to a suitable area.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 7,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 18, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 321.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 30, 2001; 40.8 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: Whitley City KY
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.39 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from SME, 30 miles away
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.
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.