19990609045549A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Bell 412 · Patterson, LA · June 9, 1999

Date: June 9, 1999 · 15:35 local
Place: Patterson, LA
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: HEEA
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N3893S
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW99LA162
Reported as: Bell 412

N3893SRegistration cancelled Jul 14, 2003 · Bell 412S/N 33022 · Built 1981 Airframe modelBell 412 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3Turbo-shaft

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.

(-23)The tail rotor and tail rotor assembly separated from the aircraft during flight over the gulf of Mexico after a tail rotor blade failed. The flight crew executed a successful autorotation and landed on the water with the aircraft's emergency floats deployed. There was no damage incurred to the aircraft during the landing. The pilots deployed a life raft and evacuated the aircraft. The aircraft sank approximately 30 minutes after the emergency floats deflated as result of the rough seas.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DURING FLIGHT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AFTER A TAIL ROTOR BLADE FAILED. THE FLIGHT CREW EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION AND LANDED ON THE WATER WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S EMERGENCY FLOATS DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE INCURRED TO THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LANDING. THE PILOTS DEPLOYED A LIFE RAFT AND EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SANK APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AFTER THE EMERGENCY FLOATS DEFLATED AS RESULT OF THE ROUGH SEAS.

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 FTW99LA162Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportEugene Is. 313The separation of a section of the tail rotor blade, and subsequent separation of the tail rotor system, as a result of fatigue cracking due to corrosion in the tail rotor blade spar.Jun 9, 1999 · Substantial damage