# Accident 20180525005909A: Bell UH-1H, Olympia, WA, May 25, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 25, 2018, 09:48 local time
- Place: Olympia, WA
- Airport: Olympia Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: WYFL
- Location: 46.9653° N, 122.8936° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.9653&lon=-122.8936&mi=10
- Aircraft: N111DR, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N111DR) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell UH-1H (registry code 1181407, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-uh-1h) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming T53-L-13 (registry code 41551, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-t53-l-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL UH-1H
- Reported engine: LYCOMING T53-L-13
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,085 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR18LA147](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18LA147) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180525005909A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 WPR18LA147](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18LA147), May 25, 2018: Bell UH 1H (N111DR), Olympia, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A 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…

## Other reports on N111DR (1)

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

- [Incident 20020724018829I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020724018829I), Jul 24, 2002: Bell UH1H (N111DR), Paisley, OR. (-23) Engine power loss, landed with partial power.

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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