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20000221002269I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Bell 230 · Lubbock, TX · February 21, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 21, 2000 · 16:00 local
Place
Lubbock, TX
Airport
Lubbock International Airport
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N230SL
Reported as
Bell 230
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
11,500 total10 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

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) During climb out from Lubbock airport, the pilot found that the collective travel was limited to about 85% or less. The pilot declared an emergency and returned to Lubbock, landing with no damages. Inspection of the collective linkages showed that the threaded end of a bolt was limiting the linkage movement in the collective. The bolt was installed backwards. The pilot had not needed to pull more than 85% when operating at lower elevation airports, but the density altitude of Lubbock (over 3800 feet) required more collective pitch than the linkage jam would allow. During modification and overhaul of the helicopter, the collective was disassembled to replace worn components. During the reassembly one of the bolts was placed in the wrong direction causing the threaded end of the bolt to limit the collective travel. The maintenance diagrams are complex, but do show the correct direction for the bolt to be installed. The Bell helicopter safety office was advised and they will emphasize in the maintenance manual the correct procedure for reinstallation.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING CLIMB OUT FROM LUBBOCK AIRPORT, THE PILOT FOUND THAT THE COLLECTIVE TRAVEL WAS LIMITED TO ABOUT 85% OR LESS. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO LUBBOCK, LANDING WITH NO DAMAGES. INSPECTION OF THE COLLECTIVE LINKAGES SHOWED THAT THE THREADED END OF A BOLT WAS LIMITING THE LINKAGE MOVEMENT IN THE COLLECTIVE. THE BOLT WAS INSTALLED BACKWARDS. THE PILOT HAD NOT NEEDED TO PULL MORE THAN 85% WHEN OPERATING AT LOWER ELEVATION AIRPORTS, BUT THE DENSITY ALTITUDE OF LUBBOCK (OVER 3800 FEET) REQUIRED MORE COLLECTIVE PITCH THAN THE LINKAGE JAM WOULD ALLOW. DURING MODIFICATION AND OVERHAUL OF THE HELICOPTER, THE COLLECTIVE WAS DISASSEMBLED TO REPLACE WORN COMPONENTS. DURING THE REASSEMBLY ONE OF THE BOLTS WAS PLACED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION CAUSING THE THREADED END OF THE BOLT TO LIMIT THE COLLECTIVE TRAVEL. THE MAINTENANCE DIAGRAMS ARE COMPLEX, BUT DO SHOW THE CORRECT DIRECTION FOR THE BOLT TO BE INSTALLED. THE BELL HELICOPTER SAFETY OFFICE WAS ADVISED AND THEY WILL EMPHASIZE IN THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL THE CORRECT PROCEDURE FOR REINSTALLATION.