What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On September 29, 1998, about 0700 central daylight time, a Bell H-13D, N755E, registered to precision air services, inc, collided with trees during a forced landing near Oxford, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flgith plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 137 aerial application flight. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The flight originated about 5 minutes earlier from the University-Oxford Airport, Oxford Mississippi. According to FAA personnel who interviewed the pilot, while flying about 400-450 feet above ground level, the pilot felt a vibration and the helicopter had a tendency to turn to the right. He reduced power and while losing altitude, he maneuvered the helicopter for a forced landing on a road. A vehicle on the road prevented him from landing there and he elected to allow the helicopter to turn to the right, colliding with trees. (.4) no discrepancies found during the preflight. Shortly after takeoff, about 400-500 feet AGL, the pilot felt a short duration minor vibration in the cyclic. The vibration increased in intensity but reduced collective was lowered. He flew towards a clearing but with obstructions in the flight path, he intentionally collided with trees. Weeks earlier, the pilot noted a crack in the laminate on the top of the 'blue' main rotor blade which progressed thru to the bottom of the blade. Two mechanics inspected the blade; one determined that water was present, the other reported that the crack was only in the laminant. A mechanic repaired the crack by applying a two-part adhesive externally to cover the crack. According to the helicopter maintenance and overhaul instructions manual, there was no mention that epoxy type material can be applied to the surfaces of the fiberglass cloth that was damaged. Post accident examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Examination of the blue main rotor blade revealed a segment of blade missing but no determination could be made as to the reason for the separation. (-23) pilot stated that upon departure from the airport, at a distance of 1 mile, he experienced a violent vibration & a right rolling tendency. He stated that he attempted to return to the airport. However, when he increase d throttle to maintain altitude, the vibration increased. He stated that he took his left hand off the collective & used both hands on the cyclic. Still unable to maintain control, he impacted trees & the ground, & rested in a 45 degree inverted position. The aircraft was substantially damaged, however, the pilot received minor injuries. One main rotor counterweight control could not be located.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON SEPTEMBER 29, 1998, ABOUT 0700 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL H-13D, N755E, REGISTERED TO PRECISION AIR SERVICES, INC, COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLGITH PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 5 MINUTES EARLIER FROM THE UNIVERSITY-OXFORD AIRPORT, OXFORD MISSISSIPPI. ACCORDING TO FAA PERSONNEL WHO INTERVIEWED THE PILOT, WHILE FLYING ABOUT 400-450 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE PILOT FELT A VIBRATION AND THE HELICOPTER HAD A TENDENCY TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. HE REDUCED POWER AND WHILE LOSING ALTITUDE, HE MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER FOR A FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD. A VEHICLE ON THE ROAD PREVENTED HIM FROM LANDING THERE AND HE ELECTED TO ALLOW THE HELICOPTER TO TURN TO THE RIGHT, COLLIDING WITH TREES. (.4) NO DISCREPANCIES FOUND DURING THE PREFLIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, ABOUT 400-500 FEET AGL, THE PILOT FELT A SHORT DURATION MINOR VIBRATION IN THE CYCLIC. THE VIBRATION INCREASED IN INTENSITY BUT REDUCED COLLECTIVE WAS LOWERED. HE FLEW TOWARDS A CLEARING BUT WITH OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE FLIGHT PATH, HE INTENTIONALLY COLLIDED WITH TREES. WEEKS EARLIER, THE PILOT NOTED A CRACK IN THE LAMINATE ON THE TOP OF THE 'BLUE' MAIN ROTOR BLADE WHICH PROGRESSED THRU TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BLADE. TWO MECHANICS INSPECTED THE BLADE; ONE DETERMINED THAT WATER WAS PRESENT, THE OTHER REPORTED THAT THE CRACK WAS ONLY IN THE LAMINANT. A MECHANIC REPAIRED THE CRACK BY APPLYING A TWO-PART ADHESIVE EXTERNALLY TO COVER THE CRACK. ACCORDING TO THE HELICOPTER MAINTENANCE AND OVERHAUL INSTRUCTIONS MANUAL, THERE WAS NO MENTION THAT EPOXY TYPE MATERIAL CAN BE APPLIED TO THE SURFACES OF THE FIBERGLASS CLOTH THAT WAS DAMAGED. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. EXAMINATION OF THE BLUE MAIN ROTOR BLADE REVEALED A SEGMENT OF BLADE MISSING BUT NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE SEPARATION. (-23) PILOT STATED THAT UPON DEPARTURE FROM THE AIRPORT, AT A DISTANCE OF 1 MILE, HE EXPERIENCED A VIOLENT VIBRATION & A RIGHT ROLLING TENDENCY. HE STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. HOWEVER, WHEN HE INCREASE D THROTTLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, THE VIBRATION INCREASED. HE STATED THAT HE TOOK HIS LEFT HAND OFF THE COLLECTIVE & USED BOTH HANDS ON THE CYCLIC. STILL UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, HE IMPACTED TREES & THE GROUND, & RESTED IN A 45 DEGREE INVERTED POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, HOWEVER, THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. ONE MAIN ROTOR COUNTERWEIGHT CONTROL COULD NOT BE LOCATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N755E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.