# Accident 19980519010199A: Bell UH1H, Hope, ID, May 19, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 19, 1998, 10:15 local time - Place: Hope, ID - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Aerial Taxi To Tkof/Rtrcrft - Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133) - Operator: WYFL - Location: 48.2605° N, 116.2407° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.2605&lon=-116.2407&mi=10 - Aircraft: N98NW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N98NW) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Garlick Helicopters UH-1H (registry code 3740005, https://openairdocs.org/model/garlick-helicopters-uh-1h) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming T-53 series (registry code 41549, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-t-53-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL UH1H - Reported engine: LYC T53L13B - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 11,700 total, 6,700 in this make and model, 160 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA077) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980519010199A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. SQUEAL COMPRESSOR STALLS AND SMOKE, FLAMES FROM TAIL PIPE. LOST ALL POWER AND LANDED IN CLEARING. REPORT TO FOLLOW. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD DROPPED OFF A LOAD OF CHOKERS AND WAS MANEUVERING TO HOOK UP TO A LOAD OF LOGS WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE 'A WEIRD SQUEALING NOISE, FOLLOWED BY A CONSTANT SERIES OF COMPRESSOR STALLS, OCCURRING ABOUT TWICE PER SECOND.' THE AIRPLANE THEN LOST ALL ENGINE POWER, AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN A CLEARING. POST CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE NO. 1 BEARING (P/N:1-300-015-04; S/N:127AC) WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. FROM OBSERVATIONS OF DAMAGE ON THE BEARING RACEWAYS AND THE INNER RING SPLIT FACES, EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT BOTH THRUST AND NON-THRUST SIDES OF THE INNER RING HAD BEEN MISALIGNED, BASED UPON BALL PATH INDICATIONS. MILITARY RECORDS FOR THE ENGINE INCLUDED AN UNSERVICEABLE TAG. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF SPECIFICS RELATED TO THAT FAILURE CODE, NOR WAS EVIDENCE FOUND RECORDING RELATED CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE ACTION ## 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 SEA98FA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA077), May 19, 1998: Garlick UH-1H (N98NW), Hope, ID, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of a misaligned main bearing in the engine. Factors include returning a previously unairworthy-tagged engine to service by the operator's maintenance personnel without sufficient information… ## Other reports on N98NW (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19961020047659A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961020047659A), Oct 20, 1996: Bell UH1H (N98NW), Detroit, OR, Substantial damage. (-16) This accident was determined to be a public aircraft accident. The investigation was conducted by the us forest service by agreement with the NTSB. There… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.