Helicopter Disappears Over Gulf of Mexico During Repositioning Flight (N407MM)

Accident Overview and Recovery Timeline A helicopter disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico while conducting a repositioning flight in visual meteorological conditions. No distress call was received from the pilot. The main wreckage was located two days after the accident, with approximately three feet of the tail boom still attached. Deformation of the wreckage indicated evidence of an uncontrolled impact with the water. Five days after the accident, another section of the tail boom—the middle section—was recovered floating about 60 miles from the main wreckage. Examination of this section revealed four tail rotor blade strike marks in relative distance along the tail boom of the tail rotor tip path plane. Fifty-eight days after the accident, the aftmost section of the tail boom was found washed up on the shoreline. Examination of this section revealed a missing rod end, which was part of the tail rotor pitch control system. It could not be determined whether the rod end came loose in flight or during the impact with the water. ## Pilot Autopsy and Investigation Findings According to the autopsy report, the pilot's death was due to traumatic injury, with a contributing cause of an acute occlusion to the left anterior descending coronary artery of the heart. No definite conclusions could be drawn as to the reason for the loss of control.