# Incident 19980130026289I: Bell 206L1, Cabinda, AO, January 30, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 30, 1998, 08:40 local time
- Place: Cabinda, AO
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: HEEA
- Aircraft: N3904L (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L1
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 14,188 total, 9,935 in this make and model, 221 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980130026289I

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER DURING LANDING TO AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS TRANSITIONING TO HOVER WHEN HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PILOT EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATIONAL LANDING TO THE DECK OF THE PLATFORM WITHOUT CAUSING FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE BONDED ADAPTER ON THE NO 5 TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT ENGINEERING EVALUATION BY THE HELICOPTER MANUFACTURER REVEALED THAT THE DRIVESHAFT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY SUBJECTED TO SOME TYPE OF MEDIA BLASTING WHICH MAY HAVE LED TO THE EVENTUAL DISBONDING OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT ADAPTER.

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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