Program Picks Up In-Flight Testing After 2016 Inflight Breakup
Bell Helicopter has confirmed that the Bell 525 Relentless program has resumed flight test activity after receiving an experimental certificate renewal from the FAA. The test program was halted following a July 2016 fatal inflight breakup that resulted in the loss of the crew. The NTSB's Prelim is the only official summary to date and reports only that, "On July 6, 2016, about 1148 central daylight time, an experimental Bell 525 helicopter, N525TA, broke up inflight and impacted terrain near Italy, Texas. The two pilots onboard were fatally injured and the helicopter was destroyed. The flight originated from Arlington, Texas, as a developmental flight test and was conducted under the p