Bell Helicopter Textron 407 N14Z accident near Nuevo, California

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to maneuver in a steep bank at a low altitude, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and passenger departed in the helicopter on a personal flight over rough hilly terrain. The pilot’s cell phone was enabled with a crash notification feature, which initiated a call to a family member to notify them there may have been an accident. The family member notified first responders, and the wreckage was located near the peak of a rocky hilltop.

Video recovered from cameras mounted on the outside of the helicopter shows the helicopter took off and made two low-level passes over terrain. As the pilot approached the crest of a ridgeline, he initiated a steep right turn. As the helicopter passed a rocky outcrop at the top of the hill, the main rotor blade contacted the terrain. Fragments of main rotor blades can be seen across the entire view of the camera.

Reviewed medical evidence for the pilot and pilot-rated passenger indicated that they both had some risk factors for an impairing or incapacitating cardiovascular event. Although such an event cannot be excluded by autopsy evidence alone, there was no autopsy evidence that such an event occurred, and the accident circumstances were not consistent with a sudden medical event. Thus, it is unlikely that the pilot’s or pilot-rated passenger’s medical conditions contributed to the accident.

Examination of the helicopter revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC23FA031 for the full record.