- Date
- July 12, 1988, 07:30 local (11:30 UTC)
- Place
- Walterboro, SC
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N465JRBell TH-1L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880712026399A
- Case key
- 7616
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
The military surplus helicopter experienced a 42 degree gear box failure while lifting a load of logs. The helicopter subsequently landed hard as the plt was attempting to autorotate to a ldg. Metallurgical examination of the gearbox revealed that a gear tooth on the input quill pinion had failed due to fatigue. No evidence of preexisting damage or improper overhaul procedures was found. The gearbox TSO was about 440 hrs. The 42 deg gear box may be over- hauled on condition. Investigation revealed that the helicopter had experienced in excess of 13,000 lift cycles in 380 hrs since it was placed in service in a logging operation. The helicopter had been faa-certificated in the restricted category for external load operations; however, bell rpts that the acft was not designed for repeated heavy lifting. There have been at least 2 other similar failures involving surplus UH-1/TH-1 helicopters used in logging operations. The landing site was strewn with cut timber and small trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N465JR
- Reported as
- Bell TH-1L
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 157828
- Airframe hours
- 7,676
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-L13BA, 1,400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Operator
- S. Eastern Helicopter Logging
- Registered owner
- Moore, W Marvin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 14, 1988 · 131 hours before
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,334 total · 3,900 in this make and model · 5,500 as pilot in command · 212 in the last 90 days · 82 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N465JR · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.