19950909028199A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 230 · Ann Arbor, MI · September 9, 1995

Date: September 9, 1995 · 12:17 local
Place: Ann Arbor, MI
Airport: Ann Arbor Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Pwr Off Run Land (Autorotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: BAQA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N232UM
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI95FA320
Reported as: Bell 230
Reported engine: Allison 250C30P
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

At cruise lost tail rotor system. Landed safe. Lost blade due fatigue cracks. Improperly manufactured blades. (-23) tail rotor blade p/n 222-016-001-111 failed inflight causing loss of tail rotor gear box, tail rotor assembly, tail rotor attachment fitting and tail rotor drive shafts. Pilot executed emergency landing on Ann Arbor airport without causing additional damage. There were on injuries.

As the FAA filed it

AT CRUISE LOST TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM. LANDED SAFE. LOST BLADE DUE FATIGUE CRACKS. IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED BLADES. (-23) TAIL ROTOR BLADE P/N 222-016-001-111 FAILED INFLIGHT CAUSING LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX, TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY, TAIL ROTOR ATTACHMENT FITTING AND TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFTS. PILOT EXECUTED EMERGENCY LANDING ON ANN ARBOR AIRPORT WITHOUT CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE ON INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI95FA320Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportAnn Arbor, MIthe manufacturer's inadequate quality control which led to a fatigue failure of the tail rotor blade.Sep 9, 1995 · Substantial damage