# Incident 20110928023819I: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1, St. Clair, MO, September 28, 2011

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 28, 2011, 18:39 local time
- Place: St. Clair, MO
- Airport: St Clair Regional
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: EVCA
- Location: 38.3756° N, 90.9723° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at St Clair Regional Airport, closed, within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3756&lon=-90.9723&mi=10
- Aircraft: N61AE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N61AE-2018-07-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 (registry code 1182107, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-206l-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C30P (registry code 54013, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c30p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON 206L-1
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 4,002 total, 1,609 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110928023819I

## Narrative

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

AT 18:39 CST ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2011, DURING REPOSITION OF AIRCRAFT N61AE, AT THE ST. CLAIR, MO, AIRPORT, WHILE AT ABOUT A THREE-FOOT-HOVER, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A TAIL ROTOR ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL SEIZURE AND LANDED ON THE END OF RUNWAY 20 WITHOUT FUTHER INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT DURING A 'FIRST TIME' STC INSTALLATION OF A HONEYWELL BLEED-AIR DRIVEN ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEM (ECS) ON THIS AIRCRAFT, TAIL ROTOR PITCH CHANGE CONTROL TUBES IN THE "HAT BIN AREA" WERE REMOVED TO GAIN ACCESS AND FACILITATE MAINTENANCE. AFTER THE INSTALLATION OF THE ECS, THE FORWARD WALKING BEAM CONTROL TUBE AND BELLCRANK WERE INSTALLED IMPROPERLY. THE BOLT AND NUT WERE INSTALLED THROUGH THE BELLCRANK AND THE CONTROL TUBE END WAS CAPTURED WITHIN THE BELL CRANK WITHOUT THE BOLT PENETRATING THROUGH THE CONTROL TUBE. AFTER THE ASSEMBLY WAS TORQUED AND A COTTER-KEY WAS INSTALLED, THE INSPECTION AND PINCH-FIT OF THE MECHANISM LED THE MECHANICS TO BELIEVE THAT THE ASSEMBLY WAS ATTACHED PROPERLY. FLIGHT CONTROL MOVEMENTS AND A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT WERE PERFORMED WITH NO INDICATION THAT THE PITCH CHANGE CONTROL TUBE WAS INSTALLED IMPROPERLY. THE INCORRECT INSTALLATION WAS THE RESULT OF INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS 'FIRST-TIME' INSTALLATION. THIS INSTALLATION WAS INSPECTED BY FOUR DIFFERENT TECHNICIANS, ALL OF WHOM FELT THAT THE INSTALLATION WAS CORRECT. WHILE REPOSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT, WITH TWO MECHANICS ON BOARD, WHILE IN HOVER OVER THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE TAIL ROTOR PITCH CHANGE CONTROL TUBE CAME FREE FROM THE BELLCRANK. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY LAND.

## Other reports on N61AE (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20010308005059I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010308005059I), Mar 8, 2001: Bell 206L1 (N61AE), St Louis, MO, Minor damage. (-23) While on final approach to an approved hospital helipad, pilot encountered a flock of ducks at approx. 500 ft. above ground level. A single duck entered…
- [Accident 20010122038239A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010122038239A), Jan 22, 2001: Bell 206L1 (N61AE), Quincy, IL, No damage, 1 fatal. (-23) On 01/22/01, at approximately 0605 UTC, N61AE, a BHT-206-L1, was preparing for a departure from blessing hospital, Quincy, el for the purpose of…

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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