20030519011429A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 407 · Franklin, LA · May 19, 2003

Date: May 19, 2003 · 09:45 local
Place: Franklin, LA
Phase of flight: Forced Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N991SP
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW03TA156
Reported as: Bell 407
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0

N991SPRegistration cancelled Feb 6, 2004 · Bell 407S/N 53518 · Built 2002 Airframe modelBell 407 Engine modelAllison 250-C47 seriesTurbo-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) On approach to landing, pilot realized he had a tail rotor control problem. Due to obstacles, he altered his approach to a cane field for an emergency landing. Aircraft began to spin, throttle cut, autorotation initiated and aircraft impacted hard, compressing skid crosstubes nearly flat. Emergency float bottles underneath aircraft impacted the aircraft bottom creating substantial damage. Investigation yielded the pivot bolt attaching the tail rotor control idler assembly was missing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APPROACH TO LANDING, PILOT REALIZED HE HAD A TAIL ROTOR CONTROL PROBLEM. DUE TO OBSTACLES, HE ALTERED HIS APPROACH TO A CANE FIELD FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SPIN, THROTTLE CUT, AUTOROTATION INITIATED AND AIRCRAFT IMPACTED HARD, COMPRESSING SKID CROSSTUBES NEARLY FLAT. EMERGENCY FLOAT BOTTLES UNDERNEATH AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE AIRCRAFT BOTTOM CREATING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. INVESTIGATION YIELDED THE PIVOT BOLT ATTACHING THE TAIL ROTOR CONTROL IDLER ASSEMBLY WAS MISSING.

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 FTW03TA156Accident · No injuriesFinal reportFranklin, LAThe loss of tail rotor effectiveness due to the inadequate maintenance performed by other company personnel.May 19, 2003 · Substantial damage