Accident
On 7 May 2001 at approximately 10:01 UTC, a privately operated Bell 407 helicopter (Danish registration) was involved in an accident at Salzburg Airport, Austria. The aircraft was on a ferry flight from Nuremberg, Germany, to Zell am See, Austria, but diverted to Salzburg due to weather conditions. The flight was conducted under visual flight rules.
Flight Sequence
The helicopter had undergone scheduled maintenance at a JAR-145 facility in Nuremberg, including work on the tail rotor control linkage. After test flights on 3 May 2001, the helicopter was released to service on 4 May 2001.
During the final approach to runway 16, at about 50 m (1600 ft MSL) and 90 KIAS, the pilot noted diminishing tail rotor effectiveness when increasing engine power. A yellow warning light illuminated but could not be identified. The pilot reduced speed below 50 KIAS, but the green "ENGAGE" light indicating the pedal restrictor control system remained lit. Manual activation of the emergency pedal stop release did not extinguish the light.
After crossing the runway threshold, the pilot turned right toward taxiway LIMA and reduced speed to approximately 10 KIAS. While attempting to enter a hover, the helicopter began an uncontrolled yaw to the right (the main rotor rotates left). Despite applying full left pedal, the yaw rate increased. The pilot initiated an emergency landing by reducing engine power to relieve torque. After one and a half rotations, the helicopter touched down hard in the grass between the taxiway and the airport fence.
Damage and Injuries
The skid landing gear collapsed and the right front cross tube broke; the tail rotor and skid shoes did not contact the ground. The helicopter came to rest in a normal attitude. The pilot shut down the engine and battery. The pilot sustained no or minor injuries (classified as light/none). The helicopter was damaged.
Investigation Findings
Post-recovery inspection of the tail rotor control system revealed that the control rod (ROD ASSY P/N 406-012-129-101) and the bellcrank (BELLCRANK ASSY P/N 406-001-704-101), accessible through an opening on the underside of the tail boom, were not mechanically connected.