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20180525005909A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell UH-1H · Olympia, WA · May 25, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 25, 2018 · 09:48 local
Place
Olympia, WA
Airport
Olympia Regional
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
WYFL
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N111DR
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR18LA147
Reported as
Bell UH-1H
Reported engine
Lycoming T53-L-13
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,085 total
N111DRRegistered now · Bell UH-1HS/N 64-13699 · Built 1996Airframe modelBell UH-1HEngine modelLycoming T53-L-13Turbo-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.

Part 133 chief pilot statement:

Pilot requested by maintenance to conduct main rotor track and balance flight. Pilot took off with technician in right (co-pilot) seat. Pilot hovered helicopter while tech checked hover balance and track. Next phase of flight started with normal take-off from a hover. During transition to forward flight, pilot noticed tail rotor control problem. Helicopter began to rotate to the right. Pilot reported lowering collective and rolling throttle to idle. Aircraft landed hard in a level attitude after 3 or more full rotations.

Investigation found issues related to tail rotor flight control installation at the tail rotor hub. Tail rotor cross head to tail rotor pitch change rod attaching hardware missing. Also noted tail rotor control rod bearing preload shim missing. Preload shim, one attachment bolt, and tail rotor blade debris was noted in the flight path. Also noted tail rotor pitch change links hardware at the tail rotor blade grip were hand tight, without required cotter pins.

As the FAA filed it

PART 133 CHIEF PILOT STATEMENT:

PILOT REQUESTED BY MAINTENANCE TO CONDUCT MAIN ROTOR TRACK AND BALANCE FLIGHT. PILOT TOOK OFF WITH TECHNICIAN IN RIGHT (CO-PILOT) SEAT. PILOT HOVERED HELICOPTER WHILE TECH CHECKED HOVER BALANCE AND TRACK. NEXT PHASE OF FLIGHT STARTED WITH NORMAL TAKE-OFF FROM A HOVER. DURING TRANSITION TO FORWARD FLIGHT, PILOT NOTICED TAIL ROTOR CONTROL PROBLEM. HELICOPTER BEGAN TO ROTATE TO THE RIGHT. PILOT REPORTED LOWERING COLLECTIVE AND ROLLING THROTTLE TO IDLE. AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE AFTER 3 OR MORE FULL ROTATIONS.

INVESTIGATION FOUND ISSUES RELATED TO TAIL ROTOR FLIGHT CONTROL INSTALLATION AT THE TAIL ROTOR HUB. TAIL ROTOR CROSS HEAD TO TAIL ROTOR PITCH CHANGE ROD ATTACHING HARDWARE MISSING. ALSO NOTED TAIL ROTOR CONTROL ROD BEARING PRELOAD SHIM MISSING. PRELOAD SHIM, ONE ATTACHMENT BOLT, AND TAIL ROTOR BLADE DEBRIS WAS NOTED IN THE FLIGHT PATH. ALSO NOTED TAIL ROTOR PITCH CHANGE LINKS HARDWARE AT THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE GRIP WERE HAND TIGHT, WITHOUT REQUIRED COTTER PINS.

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 WPR18LA147Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportOlympia, WAA loss of tail rotor thrust due to the improper installation of the tail rotor assembly by maintenance personnel resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain control of the helicopter as he began transition into forward flight from a hover, which resulted in…May 25, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N111DR · 1

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

Incident 20020724018829INormal Cruise · Paisley, OR(-23) Engine power loss, landed with partial power.Jul 24, 2002