- Date
- September 28, 1989, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chamblee, GA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N57689Aerospatiale AS 350D
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890928036979A
- Case key
- 7920
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
Failure of the main rotor swashplate bearing due to lack of lubricant.
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
As the helicopter approached the airport, it was observed to pitch up & yaw uncontrollably. According to witnesses, the rotor system slowed as the helicopter descended to impact on a city golf course. An investigation revealed that the main rotor swashplate bearing had failed from inadequate lubrication. The stationary swashplate venting hole had not been blocked off in accordance with aerospatiale svc bulletin #62.02. The purpose of the svc bulletin was to prevent leakage of the lubricant. The swashplate bearing had been lubricated 249 hrs prior to the accident. Priority AD 89-21-01 was issued to reduce the lubrication interval from 400 to 100 hours & to block the vent hole in the stationary swashplate. The fuel flow control lever & fuel shut-off control were found in the closed position (as if the plt had shut down the eng before the acdnt).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57689
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS 350D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1312
- Airframe hours
- 1,174
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS-101-600A2, 531 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Dooley Helicopters, Inc.
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 1, 1989 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- Rome, GA
- Destination
- PDK · Chamblee, GA
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 3,400 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- PDK, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.