- Date
- March 9, 1986, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Mt. Crawford, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8352FHughes 500D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19860309005799A
- Case key
- 11203
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
After refueling at shenandoah valley airport located near staunton, Virginia, the helicopter climbed to about 1800 feet MSL on a north heading. Approximately 15 minutes after departure a loud rumble was heard coming from the rear of the aircraft and the pilot immediately lowered the collective and rolled off the throttle. The student pilot, sitting in the right front seat, stated that after the pilot initiated the flare, the helicopter 'hung in the air for a monent at approx. 30' AGL then dropped to the ground and rolled over.' Disassembly of the tail rotor drive gear assembly revealed that the output drive pinion had failed. Laboratory examination revealed that the fracture surfaces revealed markings typical of fatigue progression. Mcdonnell Douglas helicopter company had issued an engineering order #139419 which concerned reworking the drive pinion, however, a service bulletin was not issued regarding the need to rework the pinion at overhaul.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8352F
- Reported as
- Hughes 500D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1260066D
- Airframe hours
- 1,987
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Pegasus
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 4, 1986 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- SHD · Shendandoah, VA
- Destination
- Mt. Jackson, VA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 928 total · 110 in this make and model · 825 as pilot in command · 112 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SHD, 2 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.