The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB WPR15WA271 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Bell 407 accident near Chong Qing, China, Cn, September 13, 2015

On September 13, 2015 at about 6:00 am local time, a Bell 407 (helicopter), registered B7702, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chong Qing, China. 4 people were killed.

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
September 13, 2015 · about 6:00 am local time
Place
Chong Qing, China, China · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
4 people were killed.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Bell 407 GX · all 407s on the register
Registration
B7702 · no longer on the register
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Flight

The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record

On September 13, 2015, at 0600 local time, a Bell 407 GX, B-7702, operated by Chong Qing General Aviation Corporation, collided with terrain during an aerial photo operation near Chong Qing, P. R. China. The helicopter was being operated under the pertinent civil regulations of the government of China. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the two flight crew and two passengers were fatally injured. The accident is being investigated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The NTSB has designated a U.S. Accredited Representative under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, as the state of manufacture for the engines. Further information pertaining to this accident should be directed to: Aircraft Accident Investigation Division Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Southwest Regional Administration of CAAC China Tel: +86 20 8613 1650

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

  1. Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed
  • Not recorded

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew2
Passengers2

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.