- Date
- February 23, 1992, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hobart Bay, AK
- Injuries
- 6 fatal, 5 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N814RMBell 214B-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920223003299A
- Case key
- 5640
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Separation of the tail rotor and 90 degree gearbox due to the pilot's failure to follow procedures/directives which resulted in the external load cable becoming entangled in the tail rotor. Factors were the turbulent weather and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Analysis
The pilot in command had a mechanic attach a 30 foot choker cable to the external cargo hook so that when he came to a hover to pick up passengers, the cable would touch the ground and dissipate the static electricity. After picking up the last timber cutters, en route to base camp, the helicopter flew through turbulence and a passenger in the cabin yelled. The pilot turned to look at the passenger, looked forward, heard a bang and experienced a yaw. The tail rotor and 90 degree gearbox separated from the helicopter and he autorotated into tall trees. Subsequent examination showed the marks in the tailrotor blade matched the socket shape at the end of the cable.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N814RM
- Reported as
- Bell 214B-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 28067
- Airframe hours
- 6,675
- Engine
- Lycoming T-5508D, 2,930 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 133
- Operator
- Rmh Aerologging
- Registered owner
- Rmh Aeromedical, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · February 20, 1992 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- Field Site, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 16,335 total · 7,811 in this make and model · 16,335 as pilot in command · 243 in the last 90 days · 172 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.