# Accident 20150520007129A: Bell 206L-3, Kearny, NJ, May 20, 2015 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 20, 2015, 10:30 local time - Place: Kearny, NJ - Airport: Kearny Helistop - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Hover/Holding - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: NYHJ - Location: 40.7317° N, 74.1167° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7317&lon=-74.1167&mi=10 - Aircraft: N210MH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N210MH) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 206L-3 (registry code 1182108, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206l-3) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C30P (registry code 54013, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c30p) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 206L-3 - Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C30P - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,035 total, 15 in this make and model, 230 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA15LA218](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15LA218) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150520007129A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 5/20/2015: THIS FSDO RECEIVED A CALL AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 ABOUT AN OCCURRENCE AT THE KEARNY HELIPORT (65NJ) INVOLVING A BELL 206L-3, S/N 51379, N210MH, OPERATED BY NEW YORK HELICOPTER, INC. THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING LEASED FROM MERIDIAN HELICOPTERS LLC, BROUSSARD, LA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING AS A CFR PART 91 SIGHT-SEEING FLIGHT, AND HAD JUST BEEN REFUELED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD TAKEN ON 350 LBS. OF FUEL, WAS LIFTING OFF FROM THE LANDING DOLLY INTO A HOVER AND AT 20 FEET HE STARTED TO GET A RIGHT YAW, AT WHICH TIME HE APPLIED ABOUT HALF OF HIS REMAINING LEFT PEDAL; THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO YAW, AT WHICH TIME HE APPLIED THE REMAINING LEFT PEDAL. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO YAW AND PICK UP SPEED; THE AIRCRAFT DID AT LEAST 3 FULL ROTATIONS AS IT TRAVELLED BACK OVER BEHIND THE LANDING DOLLIES, AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT STATED HE WAS ABLE TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT INTO A 10 FOOT HOVER. HE ROLLED THE THROTTLE OFF AND PULLED ON THE COLLECTIVE AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, STILL YAWING TO THE RIGHT. HE SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. AN EYEWITNESS OBSERVED THE INCIDENT AND STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS IN AN UNCONTROLLED RIGHT-HAND SPIN, THAT IT SPUN APPROXIMATELY 4 TIMES, AND THAT THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE NOT SPINNING AT FULL POWER DURING HIS OBSERVATION. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE HELIPORT, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST UPRIGHT AND WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET AFT AND TO THE LEFT OF THE LANDING DOLLY FROM WHICH IT DEPARTED. THERE WERE MARKS ON THE GROUND CONSISTENT WITH THE HELICOPTER ROTATING PRIOR TO COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE LEFT-HAND VERTICAL FIN, ATTACHED TO THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT COVER, SHOWED IMPACT DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH MAIN ROTOR ROTATION CONTACT FROM THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES; BOTH MAIN BLADES SHOWED CONTACT AND PAINT TRANSFER FROM IMPACTING THE LEFT-HAND VERTICAL FIN AND DRIVESHAFT COVER. THE TIPS OF BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES, AS WELL AS THE LOWER PORTION OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, EXHIBITED IMPACT DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH CONTACT WITH THE GROUND,. THE AFT, LOWER SECTION OF THE TAILBOOM SKIN WAS WRINKLED, AND THE FIBERGLASS FAIRING AT THE AIRFRAME-TO-TAILBOOM JUNCTURE WAS CRACKED CONSISTENT WITH TAIL BOOM FLEXING. BOTH LANDING GEAR CROSSTUBES WERE BENT, WITH THE AIRFRAME EXHIBITING A LEAN TO THE LEFT. IT WAS NOTED THAT WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR WAS ROTATED, THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY DID NOT ROTATE. THE HELICOPTER WAS MOVED TO THE HANGAR, WHERE THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT COVER WAS REMOVED. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AFT BONDED FLANGE OF THE # 3 TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT WAS LOOSE ON THE DRIVESHAFT ASSEMBLY, P/N 206-040-370-011. THERE WAS MATERIAL RESIDUE FOUND ON TOP OF THE TAILBOOM, UNDER THE DRIVESHAFT FLANGE, AND ON THE INSIDE OF THE TAIL DRIVESHAFT COVER. THE END OF THE DRIVESHAFT EXHIBITED ROTATIONAL GROOVES CONSISTENT WITH THE SHAFT SPINNING INSIDE THE FLANGE. THE INSIDE OF THE FLANGE AND THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE DRIVESHAFT SHOWED SIGNS OF CORROSION. THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT BEARING, JUST AFT OF THE DRIVESHAFT, SHOWED NO SIGNS OF OVERHEATING, AND ROTATED FREELY. THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE AIRFRAME HAD BEEN INSTALLED (9/2/2014) IN AN AIRFRAME FIXTURE BY ARROW AVIATION (FAA CRS # Y3AR527Y), AND THEN AN ANNUAL TYPE (100, 300 & 1200 HOUR AIRFRAME INSPECTIONS) AND HARD LANDING INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLETED ON 4/28/2014 @ AIRFRAME TOTAL TIME: 2949.9. ## 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 ERA15LA218](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15LA218), May 20, 2015: Bell 206L-3 (N210MH), Kearny, NJ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The deliberate concealment and reuse of an unairworthy tail rotor driveshaft by unknown personnel, which resulted in an overstress separation at a bonded flange adapter as a result of driveshaft… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.