20130916018889A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell UH-1B · Detroit, OR · September 16, 2013

Date: September 16, 2013 · 16:00 local
Place: Detroit, OR
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: H50L
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N204UH
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13FA411
Reported as: Bell UH-1B
Reported engine: Lycoming T5313B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot

N204UHRegistered now · Bell UH-1BS/N 62-2034 · Built 1962 Airframe modelBell UH-1B Engine modelLycoming T5313BTurbo-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.

After releasing an external load of logs in a 200 foot hover, the entire tail boom separated from the fuselage of N204UH. The helicopter immediately crashed killing the pilot. This office reviewed the helicopter's maintenance documents and found several discrepancies. The discrepancies included the overflight of component overhaul times, the overflight of required inspections, and failure to comply with an airworthiness directive.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER RELEASING AN EXTERNAL LOAD OF LOGS IN A 200 FOOT HOVER, THE ENTIRE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE OF N204UH. THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY CRASHED KILLING THE PILOT. THIS OFFICE REVIEWED THE HELICOPTER'S MAINTENANCE DOCUMENTS AND FOUND SEVERAL DISCREPANCIES. THE DISCREPANCIES INCLUDED THE OVERFLIGHT OF COMPONENT OVERHAUL TIMES, THE OVERFLIGHT OF REQUIRED INSPECTIONS, AND FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.

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 WPR13FA411Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportDetroit, ORThe fatigue failure of the upper two tailboom attachment points, which resulted in the tailboom separating from the fuselage during logging operations. Contributing to the accident was poor maintenance throughout the helicopter’s operational life.Sep 16, 2013 · Substantial damage