# Accident 19950227002879A: Bell 206L, Maryland Height, MO, February 27, 1995

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 27, 1995
- Place: Maryland Height, MO
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Location: 38.7209° N, 90.4698° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7209&lon=-90.4698&mi=10
- Aircraft: N970CC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N970CC-1997-11-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206L (registry code 1181522, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI95LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI95LA093) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950227002879A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON TAKEOFF ENGINE LOST POWER, AIRCRAFT SETTLED TO GROUND AND ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS SIDE. (-4)THE PILOT OF A TURBINE POWERED HELICOPTER SAID HE BEGAN A HOVER ABOUT THREE FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, TURNED THE HELICOPTER INTO THE WIND, AND INITIATED A TAKEOFF. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE HELICOPTER HAD STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD AND HAD ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 25 FEET, WHEN THEY HEARD A CHANGE IN THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE.  THE PILOT STATED 'AS POWER WAS BROUGHT IN, A LOUD METALLIC TYPE POP WAS HEARD.'  HE SAID THE HELICOPTER YAWED LEFT AFTER THE 'POP' WAS HEARD, AND THAT IT DID NOT RESPOND TO CONTROL INPUTS. THE HELICOPTER FLEW OVER AN EMBANKMENT, AND ITS ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE SIDE OF THE EMBANKMENT. AFTER THE BLADE STRIKE, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE, THEN ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND CAME TO REST. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER AND ITS COMPONENTS REVEALED THE ATTACHMENT BOLTS THAT CONNECTED THE DRIVESHAFT TO THE GEARED PORTION OF THE DRIVESHAFT COUPLING HAD FAILED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT TWO OF THE BOLTS HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE, THE OTHER TWO BOLTS HAD EVIDENCE OF OVERLOAD FAILURE. ALSO, AFTER DI                                                              ASSEMBLY, A TENSION (CENTERING) SPRING WAS DISCOVERED TO BE MISSING FROM THE TRANSMISSION END OF THE DRIVESHAFT (WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE BOLT HEADS TO CONTACT THE GREASE RETAINING PLATE). THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER AND ENGINE WAS ON 11/3/93.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI95LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI95LA093), Feb 27, 1995: Bell 206L (N970CC), Maryland Hts, MO, substantial damage. Probable cause: FATIGUE FAILURE OF TWO ATTACHMENT BOLTS THAT CONNECTED THE DRIVESHAFT TO THE GEARED PORTION OF A DRIVESHAFT COUPLING. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE, UNEVEN TERRAIN IN…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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