20050429010539I

Incident

FAA incident report · Bell 206L3 · Gulf Of Mexico, US · April 29, 2005

Date: April 29, 2005 · 07:59 local
Place: Gulf Of Mexico, US
Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: HEEA
Aircraft: N979BH
Reported as: Bell 206L3
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 tail rotor pedal support became detached during landing on an offshore platform and caused the pilot to lose normal directional control. The pilot maintained directional control by manipulating the throttle and collective control and made a successful landing without causing damage to the aircraft. Investigation revealed that the tail rotor support mounting bolts loosened and allowed the tail rotor pedals to detach from the floor. It is suspected that the mounting bolts may have been too short and had lost their installation torque.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE TAIL ROTOR PEDAL SUPPORT BECAME DETACHED DURING LANDING ON AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM AND CAUSED THE PILOT TO LOSE NORMAL DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PILOT MAINTAINED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BY MANIPULATING THE THROTTLE AND COLLECTIVE CONTROL AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR SUPPORT MOUNTING BOLTS LOOSENED AND ALLOWED THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS TO DETACH FROM THE FLOOR. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE MOUNTING BOLTS MAY HAVE BEEN TOO SHORT AND HAD LOST THEIR INSTALLATION TORQUE.