20040128004369A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206L4 · Patterson, LA · January 28, 2004

Date: January 28, 2004 · 09:30 local
Place: Patterson, LA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: YTRA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N207RT
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW04LA067
Reported as: Bell 206L4
People aboard: 6
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,341 total3,600 in this make and model100 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) The horizontal stabilizer's left fin assembly departed the helicopter during cruise flight, striking the tail rotor assembly, this caused a severe and constant vibration along with total loss of anti torque control.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER'S LEFT FIN ASSEMBLY DEPARTED THE HELICOPTER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, STRIKING THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY, THIS CAUSED A SEVERE AND CONSTANT VIBRATION ALONG WITH TOTAL LOSS OF ANTI TORQUE CONTROL.

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 FTW04LA067Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPatterson, LAThe in-flight separation of the helicopter's left winglet due to pre-existing cracks resulting in the winglet striking the tail rotor in-flight, and subsequent loss of directional control.Jan 28, 2004 · Substantial damage