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19980820021389A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 222 · Spencer, IA · August 20, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 20, 1998 · 21:14 local
Place
Spencer, IA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
R7MA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N30SV
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98FA323
Reported as
Bell 222
Reported engine
Allison 250C30
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
3,918 total597 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N30SVRegistration cancelled Sep 17, 1998 · Bell 222S/N 47044Airframe modelBell 222

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.

The bht 222 departed the sioux valley hospital in fsd on a VFR flight to the Spencer municipal hospital in Spencer, IA (spw). In cruise flight, approximately 2 miles wnw of the Spencer airport, the aircraft experienced an apparent flight control malfunction. The rotor system and mast assembly separated from the aircraft, severing the tail boom in the process. The main fuselage with the occupant impacted the ground about a quarter of a mile later. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire. The pilot and two medical crew personnel were killed. The cause of the flight control malfunction is being investigated further. Preliminary investigation indicates a failure of improper securing of the bolt that holds one of the main rotor drag links. (.4) the helicopter experienced an in-flight break-up when it was traveling at about 130 knots at 960 feet above the ground. The wreckage path was on a 090 heading between 0.8 to 1.2 miles west of the Spencer, Iowa, airport. Examination of the swashplate outer ring pins revealed a bending fatigue fracture occurred in the 'white' pin. The fatigue cracking originated in t he undercut fillet radius adjacent to the head of the pin. The 'white' and 'red' bores and the 'red' pin (the white pin was not located) were checked for proper dimensions. The examination indicated an insufficient interference fit between the outer swashplate bores and the outer diameter of the swashplate ring pins.

As the FAA filed it

THE BHT 222 DEPARTED THE SIOUX VALLEY HOSPITAL IN FSD ON A VFR FLIGHT TO THE SPENCER MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL IN SPENCER, IA (SPW). IN CRUISE FLIGHT, APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES WNW OF THE SPENCER AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN APPARENT FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION. THE ROTOR SYSTEM AND MAST ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, SEVERING THE TAIL BOOM IN THE PROCESS. THE MAIN FUSELAGE WITH THE OCCUPANT IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE LATER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY A POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT AND TWO MEDICAL CREW PERSONNEL WERE KILLED. THE CAUSE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION IS BEING INVESTIGATED FURTHER. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INDICATES A FAILURE OF IMPROPER SECURING OF THE BOLT THAT HOLDS ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR DRAG LINKS. (.4) THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK-UP WHEN IT WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 130 KNOTS AT 960 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS ON A 090 HEADING BETWEEN 0.8 TO 1.2 MILES WEST OF THE SPENCER, IOWA, AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE SWASHPLATE OUTER RING PINS REVEALED A BENDING FATIGUE FRACTURE OCCURRED IN THE 'WHITE' PIN. THE FATIGUE CRACKING ORIGINATED IN T HE UNDERCUT FILLET RADIUS ADJACENT TO THE HEAD OF THE PIN. THE 'WHITE' AND 'RED' BORES AND THE 'RED' PIN (THE WHITE PIN WAS NOT LOCATED) WERE CHECKED FOR PROPER DIMENSIONS. THE EXAMINATION INDICATED AN INSUFFICIENT INTERFERENCE FIT BETWEEN THE OUTER SWASHPLATE BORES AND THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE SWASHPLATE RING PINS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI98FA323Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportSpencer, IAThe below standard (loose) fit of the 'white' swashplate outer ring pin resulting in fatigue and subsequent separation of the pin, and ultimately the in-flight breakup of the rotorcraft. A factor was the manufacturer's dissemination of the pin which did not…Aug 21, 1998 · Destroyed