# Accident 19980607012449A: Bell 206B, Corpus Christi, TX, June 7, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 7, 1998, 17:44 local time - Place: Corpus Christi, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: YHHA - Location: 27.7993° N, 97.3893° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.7993&lon=-97.3893&mi=10 - Aircraft: N16814, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N16814-2010-06-14) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Allison 250 SER 250HP (registry code 03002, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-ser-250hp) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 206B - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 9,583 total, 3,072 in this make and model, 105 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA260](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA260) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980607012449A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. SNAPPING SOUND ON APPROACH. LOST TAILROTOR CONTROL. AUTO ROTATED HARD LDG. SREAD SKIDS. CHOPPED TAIL BROKE SHAFT. (.4) THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT FAILURE WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO LANDING. APPROXIMATELY 45 TO 50 FEET AGL, THE PILOT HEARD A 'LOUD SNAPPING SOUND,' WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A 'LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR CONTROL.' AN AUTOROTATION WAS INITIATED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER LANDED 'HARD' ON THE GRASSY STAGING FIELD AND CAME TO A STOP UPRIGHT. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT TWO OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT SEGMENTS WERE FRACTURED. ADDITIONALLY, ONE OF THE TWO BOLTS CONNECTING THE AFT END OF ONE OF THE FRACTURED SEGMENTS TO A DISC COUPLING (THOMAS COUPLING) WAS MISSING. THE MISSING BOLT WAS NOT RECOVERED, ALTHOUGH A NUT AND TWO BEVELED WASHERS WERE FOUND ON TOP OF THE TAIL BOOM BENEATH THE DRIVESHAFT. AN EXAMINATION OF THE REMAINING BOLT REVEALED THAT IT EXHIBITED FRETTING, WEAR AND DEFORMATION TO ONLY THE LAST TWO AND ONE-HALF THREADS. REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED NO ENTRIES INDICATING THAT ANY OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT SEGMENTS WERE REMOVED IN THE TWO YEARS PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT. (-23) ON JUNE 7, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45 PM, A BELL 206B, OWNED AND OPERATED BY HOUSTON HELICOPTERS INC. AN ON-DEMAND FAR PART 135 OPERATOR (YHHA), MADE A HARD LANDING DURING AN APPROACH TO LAND AT A TEMPORARY HELICOPTER LANDING SITE. THIS FLIGHT WAS A REVENUE FLIGHT FOR OVERSIGHT OF A BOAT RACE IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. THERE WERE THREE PASSENGERS ABOARD FOR THIS SEGMENT. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THIS FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HAND SKIDS AND BUCKLING TO THE TAIL BOOM UPON IMPAT WITH THE GROUND, BUT; IT APPEARS THAT DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT AND SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE GROUND IMPACT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED BEFORE OR AFTER THE GROUND IMPACT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS A MR. RODNEY ALAN MOORE, CERTIFICATE #265155463. THIS FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SAME SITE THAT HIS ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 4:46 OF THE SAME DATE. THIS OFFICE IS CONTINUING THE INVESTIGATION OF THIS ACCIDENT FOR POSSIBLE MECHANICL MALFUNCTIONS TO THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM. ## 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 FTW98LA260](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA260), Jun 7, 1998: Bell 206B (N16814), Corpus Christi, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the tail rotor drive shaft due to the separation of a bolt at one of the drive shaft disc couplings for an undetermined reason, which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain… ## Other reports on N16814 (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19930804027659A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930804027659A), Aug 4, 1993: Bell 206B (N16814), Pearland, TX, Substantial damage. Maintenance check flight after turbine replaced. Lost power. Autorotated. Rocked landing. Chopped tail. Dry bearing - [Incident 19800125015859I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800125015859I), Jan 25, 1980: Bell 206B (N16814), TX. During shutdown on oil platform worker walked into tail rotor sustaining, glancing blow to head. 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.