History of Flight
On December 25, 2019, about 1713 central standard time, a Bell 407 helicopter, registration N663SF, sustained substantial damage when it struck terrain near Headland, Alabama. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air ambulance flight. The flight nurse, seated in the aft right seat, reported that the crew was responding to an accident when the call was cancelled en route and they turned back to base. The approach was slightly faster than normal. As the helicopter neared the helipad, it abruptly rolled to the left. The pilot did not speak or correct the roll. The helicopter impacted the ground and came to rest on its left side. The flight nurse and flight paramedic unbuckled, exited via the aft right door, and attended to the pilot. The pilot was unresponsive, not breathing, and his face was blue. The engine was still running; a witnessing pilot shut it down, and the pilot was extracted through the windshield. CPR was initiated. The flight paramedic noted a 45° left roll about 10–15 ft above ground, with no correction, and heard rotor strikes. A witness, also a helicopter pilot, observed a shallow approach and then saw debris and water from a nearby pond at impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot was hired by Viking, LLC on December 2, 2019, and completed training on December 6. He worked his first 7-day hitch with Survival Flight, Inc. from December 10 to 17, then had 7 days off. The accident occurred on his first day of his second hitch. His normal duty hours were 0700 to 1900. He flew one flight earlier that day. Both crew members described that flight as normal and observed no medical issues; the pilot was in a good mood and had not expressed stress or fatigue.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The helicopter came to rest on its left side in soft grass about 120 ft west-northwest of the helipad, in 3 to 6 inches of standing water. There was no postimpact fire. All four main rotor blades separated at the hub and displayed extensive impact damage. The left skid was displaced inward. The fuselage sustained minor damage; seats and restraint systems were secure and functional. The tail boom fractured aft of the attachment point; the tail rotor drive shaft severed in three locations but continuity was established. The tail rotor gearbox and blades were intact. Flight and engine control continuity was established via manual manipulation; no mechanical issues were observed. The engine showed no impact damage, evidence of rotation at impact, and ECU data indicated normal performance before and during the accident sequence.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted by the Alabama Department of Forensic Science determined the cause of death as hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease complicated by blunt force injuries. The pilot’s heart was enlarged (510 grams) with significant coronary artery stenosis: 70–80% of the left main, 80–90% of the left anterior descending, 70–80% of the circumflex, and 40–50% of the right coronary. The kidneys showed signs of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Toxicology identified naproxen, lansoprazole, ranitidine, and lidocaine, all considered non-impairing at the levels found.