20010417024889I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell TH-13T · Hartselle, AL · April 17, 2001

Date: April 17, 2001 · 12:00 local
Place: Hartselle, AL
Airport: Rountree Field Airport
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N55ER
Reported as: Bell TH13T
Reported engine: Lycoming O435
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 140 total130 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N55ERRegistered now · Bell TH-13TS/N 67-17098 · Built 1968 Airframe modelBell TH-13T Engine modelLycoming 0-435Reciprocating

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) Pilot stated that at about 75 to 100 feet he heard a noise that sounded like mass bumping. He then lowered the collective and the aircraft went into about a 10 to 15 degree nose high attitude. As the aircraft approached the ground the pilot realized that there was no longitudinal control. The aircraft touched down backwards and skid for about eight feet. Further investigation revealed that the longitudinal cyclic control tube had failed. The upper riveted rod end had pulled out of the cyclic tube assembly.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT AT ABOUT 75 TO 100 FEET HE HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE MASS BUMPING. HE THEN LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO ABOUT A 10 TO 15 DEGREE NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE GROUND THE PILOT REALIZED THAT THERE WAS NO LONGITUDINAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN BACKWARDS AND SKID FOR ABOUT EIGHT FEET. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LONGITUDINAL CYCLIC CONTROL TUBE HAD FAILED. THE UPPER RIVETED ROD END HAD PULLED OUT OF THE CYCLIC TUBE ASSEMBLY.