# Incident 19970509026349I: Doug MD900, Reno, NV, May 9, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 9, 1997, 18:30 local time
- Place: Reno, NV
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: R7MA
- Location: 39.5296° N, 119.8138° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Reno, NV, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5296&lon=-119.8138&mi=10
- Aircraft: N901CF (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: DOUG MD900
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 8,507 total, 385 in this make and model, 86 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970509026349I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: DURING AN APPROACH INTO THE WASHOE MEDICAL CENTER HELIPORT, THE PILOT NOTICED THE HELICOPTER HOVERED NOSE LOW. THE HELICOPTER LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. A POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE ADJUSTABLE COLLECTIVE DRIVE LINK ASSEMBLY, P/N 900C2010233-103, HAD FAILED CHANGING THE FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HELICOPTER. THE PART WAS REPLACED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, MCDONNELL DOUGLAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN #SB 900-056, GROUNDING THE MD900 SERIES HELICOPTERS. SUBSEQUENTLY, AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 97-12-02 WAS ISSUED. MCDONNELL DOUGLAS REDESIGNED AND REDESIGNATED THE COLLECTIVE DRIVE LINK ASSEMBLY AND THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS INSTALLED ON THE HELICOPTER. THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WAS NO LONGER APPLICABLE WITH THE REDESIGNED/REDESIGNATED ASSEMBLY AND THE HELICOPTER WAS RELEASED TO SERVICE. THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

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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