- Date
- September 11, 1992, 09:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Eagle, AK
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1096XMcdonnell Douglas 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920911036509A
- Case key
- 5651
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
An inflight fatigue failure and separation of a main rotor blade, inadequate operator maintenance and inspection, and material defect.
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.
Analysis
Shortly after takeoff the pilot radioed he was returning due to poor visual flight conditions, and was last seen circling the Eagle runway. The wreckage was found aprx 7 hrs later 150 yds north of the runway. The blue m/r blade was found separated; the trailing attachment lugs of both the upper and lower blade root fittings were fractured through the holes, and the lead lag dampener lug was also fractured. Metallurgical examination revealed fatigue progression on all four root fractures. Operator maintenance personnel stated that they were not aware of AD91-17-04 requirement to remove & inspect the m/r blades at 100-HR intervals.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1096X
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 110836D
- Airframe hours
- 3,023
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Tundra Copters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Tundra Copters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 14, 1992 · 57 hours before
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 36
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,779 total · 281 in this make and model · 3,644 as pilot in command · 205 in the last 90 days · 61 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.