- Date
- July 21, 1986, 13:33 local (17:33 UTC)
- Place
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N222DUBell 222UT
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860721034179A
- Case key
- 6952
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Drg an emerg med svc (EMS)/med evac flt, an uncontained pwr turbine burst of the #1 eng occurred. Debris fm the #1 eng disabled the #2 eng & severed the tail rotor drive shaft. The #2 eng fire lgt illuminated & the plt discharged the #2 eng fire extinguisher. Drg an autorotative lndg, the plt increased collective to clr trees, and the helicopter rolled on its side at touchdown. The plt, 1 nurse & the patient were unharmed, but 2 nurses rcvd minor injuries. An exam showedthe #2 & #3 brgs in the #1 eng had overheated & failed due to lack of lubrication. Oil passages & jets to the brgs were fnd clogged with hvy carbon deposits. The eng combustor housing was chngd aprx 13 flt hrs bfr the acdnt due to a cloggedvent strut; after draining oil, the oil sys wasn't flushed, but flushing wasn't reqd. Evidence showed lyc lts 101-750C-1ENGS were susceptible to carbon clogging; that the #2 seals tended to erode & allow excessive hot gases into the #2 & #3BRGS. After the acdnt, the FAA issued AD 86-22-05, requiring increased inspn & maint procedures to prevent recurrence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N222DU
- Reported as
- Bell 222UT
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 47530
- Airframe hours
- 1,882
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS101-750C-1, 735 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Pumpkin Air, Inc., doing business as [Ems]
- Registered owner
- Textron Financial Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 19, 1986 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- Lumberton, NC
- Destination
- Durham, NC
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,896 total · 536 in this make and model · 7,608 as pilot in command · 149 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.