Bell 412 N464AC
3 August 2002 · Rantoul, Illinois, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 3 August 2002 at about 00:52 local time, a Bell 412 registered N464AC, operated by Air Center Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Rantoul, Illinois, United States. 11 people were on board. One person on the ground also died. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:52
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Rantoul, Illinois, United States
- Nearest airport
- Rantoul National Aviation Cent (TIP)
- Coordinates
- 40.1099, -88.2408
- Aircraft
- Bell 412
- Registration
- N464AC
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Air Center Helicopters, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Rantoul → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI02LA232
People
Injuries not recorded.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured | On the ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
Probable cause
The congested takeoff and landing area and the low altitude flight maneuver performed by the pilot.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter's main rotor blade contacted a photographer fatally injuring him. Before lift off, ground crew informed the pilot that there were four canopies in the vicinity of the takeoff area. The pilot immediately took off and began following a mowed grass area adjacent to an area of corn in which the photographer was standing in and unseen by the pilot. The pilot then executed a steep right bank turn several feet off the ground contacting the photographer with the tip of the main rotor blade.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 412 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 2001 | Bell 412HP | Los Cabos, Mexico | Heliservicio de Campeche S.A. | Fatal | 3 |
| 18 Dec 2001 | Bell 412EP | Rio Frio, Mexico | Government of the State of Puebla | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Feb 2001 | Bell 412SP | Grand Junction, Colorado, United States | Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 Aug 2000 | Bell 412 | Cold Springs, Nevada, United States | US Department of Interior | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Feb 2000 | Bell 412 | Karns, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 May 2004 | Bell 412 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | Air Methods Corp. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jan 2002 | Beechcraft V35B | Mattoon, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 2002 | Cessna 152 | Christopher, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 2002 | Jacobs RUTAN VARI VIGGEN | Urbana, Illinois, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Aug 2002 | Corken/Guillet CHRISTEN EAGLE II | Kaneville, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 May 2002 | Piper PA 28-181 | Sandwich, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 2002 | Cessna 172R | Greenwood, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |