Accident Summary
On Saturday, June 2, 2007, a Bell 412 helicopter, registration JA9991, operated by Toho Air Service Co., Ltd., crashed into a mountain slope approximately 1.3 km north of the Gifu-Nakatsugawa temporary helipad in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The accident occurred around 15:39 Japan Standard Time. The helicopter was returning from an aerial reforestation mission over the Ichinosawa ravine of Mount Ena. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed, but no post-crash fire occurred.
Flight History
The helicopter had been conducting aerial spreading of reforestation material, a slurry mixture of plant seeds, fertilizer, water, and starch, from a slung bucket. The day's operations began at 07:48 and included 68 circuits, with the last takeoff occurring at 15:35. A sales manager at the helipad had radioed the pilot that the next circuit would be the last, and after takeoff, he informed the pilot of a confirmation flight to follow. At approximately 15:39, a mechanic at the helipad heard a click noise from the radio, suggesting the pilot pressed the transmit button. Subsequent calls received no response, and the helicopter did not return. A search party found the wreckage on a left slope of Ichinosawa ravine around 17:00. The pilot was found strapped in his seat near the fuselage.
Personnel Information
The pilot was a 66-year-old male holding a Commercial Pilot Certificate for rotorcraft, with a Bell 212 rating and an Instrument Rating. He had a total flight time of 14,295 hours and 03 minutes, including 1,571 hours and 56 minutes on the Bell 412. His last 30-day flight time was 30 hours and 40 minutes, with 28 hours and 10 minutes on the Bell 412. He held a valid Class 1 Airman Medical Certificate.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a Bell 412, serial number 33181, manufactured on September 24, 1989. It had a Certificate of Airworthiness valid until March 9, 2008, and was classified as Transport category A and B. Total time in service was 3,727 hours and 04 minutes. The engines were Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6T-3B, with serial numbers CP-PS63071 (No.1) and CP-PS63072 (No.2), both manufactured in March 1989 and each with the same total time in service as the airframe.
Meteorological and Site Conditions
At the time of the last circuit, weather at the helipad was reported as cloudless, with nearly calm winds and good visibility. The temperature was estimated below 20°C. Earlier in the day, during a break from 14:11 to 14:45, there was light drizzle and mountain tops were covered with fog. The accident site was located at coordinates 39° 25' 35"N, 137° 34' 39"E.
Wreckage and Impact
The helicopter crashed into a wooded slope, breaking approximately ten trees. The fuselage, skids, main rotor hubs and blades, transmission, tail boom, and tail rotor blades were destroyed. The engines and fuel tank were damaged. No post-crash fire occurred.