# Accident 20070905824179A: Bell 206B, Lakeland, FL, September 5, 2007

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 5, 2007, 15:05 local time
- Place: Lakeland, FL
- Airport: Lakeland Linder Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.9889° N, 82.0186° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9889&lon=-82.0186&mi=10
- Aircraft: N267MW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N267MW) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20B (registry code 03081, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,414 total, 2,117 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA07LA148](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA07LA148) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070905824179A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, FIFTEEN TO TWENTY FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT LOST TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS AND SPUN AROUND SEVERAL TIMES. HE SAID HE EXECUTED A HOVERING AUTOROTATION AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A BENT FORWARD CROSS TUBE, A BENT AFT CROSS TUBE, AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE IN THE AREA OF THE LEFT AFT CROSS TUBE ATTACH POINT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT OR PASSENGERS. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A FAILURE OF THE AFT TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT SEGMENT. THE BOND BETWEEN THE SHAFT AND THE FORWARD ATTACH FLANGE HAD FAILED. TURNING THE ROTOR SYSTEM THROUGH BY HAND SHOWED CONTINUITY WITHIN THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM. BUT, WHEN PRESSURE WAS INDUCED BY TURNING THE MAIN ROTOR AND HOLDING THE TAIL ROTOR, A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD AS THE BOND WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL. TAIL ROTOR SHAFT ASSEMBLY WAS SENT TO BELL HELICOPTERS BY THE NTSB.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA07LA148](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA07LA148), Sep 5, 2007: Bell 206B3 (N267MW), Lakeland, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of company maintenance personnel to replace the tail rotor drive shafts following tail rotor blade damage in 1999, the failure of maintenance personnel to replace the tail rotor drive…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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