19970818027079I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Enstrm 280F · Apple Valley, CA · August 18, 1997

Date: August 18, 1997 · 07:50 local
Place: Apple Valley, CA
Airport: Apple Valley Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N14RS
Reported as: Enstrm 280F
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO360*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,000 total65 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days

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.

Narrative: the commercially rated fixed wing and helicopter CFI, was giving the owner of this helicopter instruction in preparation for his commercial helicopter add-on flight test. During the second takeoff to a low hover to be followed by a powered landing, the aircraft suddenly yawed sharply to the right. The instructor immediately applied full left pedal to stop the yaw, but the aircraft continued to yaw. The instructor then applied down collective and attempted to flare but the yawing motion continued. At this time the instructor bottomed the collective, setting the helicopter down hard. The helicopter came to a rest, but the right skid was damaged in the hard landing. Post incident investigation revealed an internal failure of the tail drive shaft coupling, part number 28-13614-1 part name coupling hub, located at the main rotor transmission tail rotor output drive shaft. Request that the mechanic submit a malfunction and defect report. This incident is closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: THE COMMERCIALLY RATED FIXED WING AND HELICOPTER CFI, WAS GIVING THE OWNER OF THIS HELICOPTER INSTRUCTION IN PREPARATION FOR HIS COMMERCIAL HELICOPTER ADD-ON FLIGHT TEST. DURING THE SECOND TAKEOFF TO A LOW HOVER TO BE FOLLOWED BY A POWERED LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY YAWED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL LEFT PEDAL TO STOP THE YAW, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO YAW. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN APPLIED DOWN COLLECTIVE AND ATTEMPTED TO FLARE BUT THE YAWING MOTION CONTINUED. AT THIS TIME THE INSTRUCTOR BOTTOMED THE COLLECTIVE, SETTING THE HELICOPTER DOWN HARD. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO A REST, BUT THE RIGHT SKID WAS DAMAGED IN THE HARD LANDING. POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED AN INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE TAIL DRIVE SHAFT COUPLING, PART NUMBER 28-13614-1 PART NAME COUPLING HUB, LOCATED AT THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION TAIL ROTOR OUTPUT DRIVE SHAFT. REQUEST THAT THE MECHANIC SUBMIT A MALFUNCTION AND DEFECT REPORT. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED.