- Date
- April 17, 1989, 12:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Aiken, SC
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N118HSBell UH-1E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890417008259A
- Case key
- 7887
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
Improper installation of a tail rotor pitch change crosshead retention bolt by the company mechanic, which resulted in loosening of the bolt and eventual failure of the tail rotor assembly/blade and subsequent loss of control. Trees at the crash site contributed to helicopter damage.
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 helicopter was being operd at aprx 100 ft AGL with a hopper extdd from a cable. Witnesses heard a loud popping sound. As they looked in the drctn of the helicopter, they noted the tail rotor was not turning & one blade appeared to be hanging. The plt rprtd there was no warning of an impending anti-torque control problem when he lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter then collided with trees & crashed. Inv revealed the plt had rprtd an oil leak fm the 90 deg gearbox on 4/11/89. The company mechanic subsequently replaced the gearbox & a functional test flt was completed. The acdnt occurred after aprx another 6 hrs of opn. An exam of the tail rotor assembly revealed that 1 of the 2 retention bolts were missing fm the tail rotor pitch change crosshead. Threaded imprints were fnd inside the respective crosshead retention thru-bolt hole. The retention bolt, nut, washer & cotter pin were not recovered. Both tail rotor blades contained chordwise marks which corresponded to marks on the vertical fin (opposite of the tail rotor tip path plane).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N118HS
- Reported as
- Bell UH-1E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 155341
- Airframe hours
- 5,414
- Engine
- Lycoming T-53-L-11D, 1,100 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Registered owner
- Helicopter Systems
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 7, 1989 · 100 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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,000 in this make and model · 39 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °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.