Bell 407
Aircraft Manufacturer: Bell
Model: 407
About the Bell 407
The Bell 407 ranks as Bell's second-largest active fleet by registered count, with more than 300 of the type on the U.S. civil registry. Set against everything Bell still flies, the 407 makes up about 12% of the maker's total active registered fleet. Reach back across every U.S. registry record the model has ever held, and about half have since been deregistered.
Across its FAA-registration exposure, the Bell 407 has 32 recorded accidents, 9 of them fatal. Measured against the time those airframes have spent on the registry, the type runs at about 2.5 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years.
On the regulatory record, the Bell 407 carries 24 active airworthiness directives out of 26 ever issued against the model. The most recent of those directives was issued June 25, 2026.
Aircraft Details
| Manufacturer | Bell |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer Serial Number | 1182206 |
| Model | 407 |
| Category | Land |
| Aircraft Type | Rotorcraft |
| Weight | Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight) |
| Engine Type | Turbo-shaft |
| Number of Engines | 1 engine |
| Number of Seats | 7 seats |
Photo: Robert Kowal —
cc-by-sa-2.0
via Wikimedia Commons
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Safety Analysis
Composition of NTSB accident records for this model in general-aviation operations (FAR Part 91 and 137), based on NTSB data as of May 1, 2026. It's a breakdown of recorded accidents rather than a safety rating, and types with significant non-GA operation (such as Part 135) may be under-represented.
Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).
27 exact, 2 recovered, 3 provisional
MethodologyTotal recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.
9 fatal accidents.
28.1% of recorded accidents were fatal.
Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.
12,931
Aircraft-years of FAA registration exposure (2008–present).
Within its peer cohort
Within this model's peer class (same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range), comparison of its share of recorded NTSB accidents to its share of FAA registration exposure (aircraft-years since 2008).
This is a share comparison, not flight-hours adjusted, so a model flown more per airframe than its peers will show an accident share above its exposure share even if its per-hour safety is average. Methodology →
Accidents by year
Recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents per calendar year, derived directly from the NTSB accident database. Each bar shows the accidents that occurred in that year. Methodology →
Phase of flight
Which phase of flight each accident occurred in, as coded by the NTSB. Most accidents happen in the phases where most flying time is concentrated, so this isn't a measure of which phase is most dangerous.
Finding category
Top-level NTSB cause category, from the coded investigation findings. An accident often has more than one finding, so totals here can exceed the recorded accident count.
Injury severity
NTSB classification of the worst injury in each accident: None, Minor, Serious, or Fatal. Each accident counts in exactly one severity.
Operating-rule mix (all parts): 135 (36)· 091 (32)· PUBU (14)· NUSN (13)· UNK (7)· NUSC (5)· 133 (2)
Recorded Accidents
All 32 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.
| Date | Location | Tail | Damage | Highest injury | Phase of flight | Finding categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, TX | N407WA | Substantial | Minor | Emergency descent | Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| Bountiful, UT | N407SJ | Substantial | Minor | Takeoff | Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Raigad | VT-MPU | Substantial | unknown | Landing | unknown | |
| Chesterfield, VA | N26VA | Substantial | None | Emergency descent | Personnel issues, Aircraft, Not determined | |
| Croydon, NH | N802JR | Substantial | Fatal | Uncontrolled descent | Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues | |
| Abbeville, LA | N451PH | Substantial | None | Emergency descent | Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| Nuevo, CA | N14Z | Destroyed | Fatal | Maneuvering | Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft | |
| Mount Baldy, CA | N687AM | Substantial | Serious | Prior to flight | Aircraft, Personnel issues | |
| Fairfield, NJ | N98ZA | Substantial | Serious | Enroute | Aircraft, Personnel issues | |
| LaPlace, LA | N150AS | Destroyed | Fatal | Enroute | Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Bridgeport, TX | N862YB | Substantial | Minor | Emergency descent | Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| Tampa, FL | N512TP | Substantial | None | Landing | Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues | |
| Fort Worth, TX | N489DM | Substantial | None | Landing | Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| Minot, ND | N947LH | Substantial | None | Landing | Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Norfolk, NE | N214AM | Substantial | None | Prior to flight | Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| Chauvin, LA | N1371 | Destroyed | Fatal | Enroute | Aircraft, Personnel issues, Not determined | |
| Fort Worth, TX | N6040Y | Substantial | None | Maneuvering | Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| Hickory, KY | N427TV | Substantial | Fatal | Prior to flight | Aircraft, Personnel issues | |
| Justin, TX | N41BH | Substantial | None | Emergency descent | Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| Clear Lake, IA | N445MT | Destroyed | Fatal | Enroute | Personnel issues, Environmental issues, Aircraft | |
| Coolbaugh Township, PA | N108MF | Substantial | Fatal | Enroute | Personnel issues, Environmental issues | |
| Intracoastal City, LA | N406AL | Substantial | Fatal | Initial climb | Environmental issues, Personnel issues, Aircraft | |
| Abingdon, VA | N407N | Substantial | Fatal | Takeoff | Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues | |
| Aberdeen, SD | N509MT | Substantial | Minor | Enroute | Aircraft | |
| Riverdale, UT | N408UH | Substantial | None | Emergency descent | Personnel issues, Environmental issues |
Page 1 of 2 (showing accidents 1–25 of 32).
Airworthiness Directives
Composition of FAA airworthiness directives (ADs) that apply to this model, as of October 15, 2026. ADs are mandatory FAA-issued corrective actions for safety-of-flight issues. Pilots, owners, and operators should always verify against the current FAA AD listing before any maintenance or flight action. Methodology →
25 active · 27 total airworthiness directives issued against this model · most recent:
Directives by year
Count of airworthiness directives issued against this model per calendar year (publication date in the Federal Register). Includes both active and superseded directives. An active AD still applies; a superseded one was replaced by a later AD.
Directives by system / component (JASC / ATA code)
Breakdown of the AD count for this model by the FAA's coded subject classification. The corpus mixes legacy 2-digit ATA chapter codes and modern 4-digit JASC codes; both forms are surfaced as separate bars (see the methodology page).
Recent directives
The most recent airworthiness directives applicable to this model, by effective date. A Superseded badge means a later AD has replaced this one; we still list the original so it isn't lost from the page.
| AD number | Effective date | Subject | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
2026-14-07 |
Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters | Active | |
2026-10-04 |
Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters | Active | |
2025-13-01 |
Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters | Active | |
2024-10-12 |
Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters | Active | |
2023-17-51 |
Airworthiness Directives; Bell Textron Canada Limited Helicopters | Active |