20010505013369I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 407 · Venice, LA · May 5, 2001

Date: May 5, 2001
Place: Venice, LA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: HEEA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N740PH
Reported as: Bell 407
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

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 aircraft developed a severe vibration in-flight while flying over the gulf of Mexico. The pilot landed the helicopter on the nearest offshore platform without incident. Subsequent investigation revealed that the tail rotor driveshaft/oil cooler bearing failed. Prior to its failure, the bearing had accumulated 223 hours total time, 33 hours since last inspection, 11 hours since the last lubrication, and 2 hours since a vibration check. The operator of the aircraft sent the bearing to Bell helicopter, fort worth, Texas, for further evaluation.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEVELOPED A SEVERE VIBRATION IN-FLIGHT WHILE FLYING OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE PILOT LANDED THE HELICOPTER ON THE NEAREST OFFSHORE PLATFORM WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT/OIL COOLER BEARING FAILED. PRIOR TO ITS FAILURE, THE BEARING HAD ACCUMULATED 223 HOURS TOTAL TIME, 33 HOURS SINCE LAST INSPECTION, 11 HOURS SINCE THE LAST LUBRICATION, AND 2 HOURS SINCE A VIBRATION CHECK. THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT SENT THE BEARING TO BELL HELICOPTER, FORT WORTH, TEXAS, FOR FURTHER EVALUATION.