Bell 407 accident near Moab, Utah, September 11, 2014
On September 11, 2014 at about 5:09 pm local time, a 1996 Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N142MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Moab, Utah. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to ensure adequate clearance from terrain while landing on sloped terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2014 · about 5:09 pm local time
- Place
- Moab, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407, built 1996 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N142MA · registry record · serial 53123
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter had been dispatched to pickup and transport two ground crew members to a new location. The pilot positioned the helicopter with the front skids into up sloping terrain when the main rotor blades impacted a large boulder. The helicopter pitched back, rolled onto its right side, and slid down the hill before it came to a rest. During the accident sequence, the helicopter sustained 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Dynamic rollover during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,656 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 3,656 as pilot in command; 5 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 7, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,346 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 20, 2014; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250 SER (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Minuteman Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: Moab UT
- Destination: Moab UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from CNY, 18 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.