- Date
- January 4, 2018, 19:00 local (Jan 5, 2018, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Norfolk, NE
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N214AMBell Helicopter Textron Canada 407
- Defining event
- Enroute: Part(s) separation from AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 21, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20180104006179I
- Case key
- 96587
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
Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly secure the tail rotor drive shaft cover, which resulted in the cover departing the helicopter in flight.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot and two medical crewmembers were on a return flight to a hospital helipad. During the approach to the helipad, the crew heard a noise outside the helicopter. The medical crewmembers reported they felt a slight "shudder" on the helicopter but attributed it to the wind as they approached the helipad. The pilot heard the noise, but there was no effect on the controls or flight characteristics, so he continued the landing without further incident. After engine shutdown, the oncoming pilot noticed that the helicopter's tail rotor drive shaft cover was missing. The surrounding area near the helicopter's approach path was searched, and the missing cover was found. An examination of the helicopter noted substantial damage to the tail rotor drive shaft. The day before the accident, scheduled maintenance was performed on the helicopter's tail rotor pitch change mechanism, which required removal of the drive shaft cover. The cover was reinstalled, and no problems were reported during a subsequent preflight inspection. It is likely that maintenance personnel did not properly secure the cover fasteners after the cover was reinstalled.
Factual narrative
The pilot and two medical crewmembers were on a return flight to a hospital helipad. During the approach to the helipad, the crew heard a noise outside the helicopter. The medical crewmembers reported they felt a slight "shudder" on the helicopter but attributed it to the wind as they approached the helipad. The pilot heard the noise, but there was no effect on the controls or flight characteristics, so he continued the landing without further incident. After engine shutdown, the on-coming pilot noticed the helicopter's tail rotor drive shaft cover missing. A search of the surrounding area near the helicopter's approach path, located the missing cover. An examination of the helicopter noted substantial damage to the tail rotor drive shaft. The day prior to the accident, scheduled maintenance was performed on the helicopter's tail rotor pitch change mechanism, which required removal of the drive shaft cover. The cover was reinstalled, and no problems were reported during a subsequent pre-flight inspection. It is likely the cover fasteners were not properly secured, after the cover was re-installed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N214AM
- Reported as
- Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 54485
- Built
- 2014
- Engine
- Rolls-Royc 250-C47B, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 135
- Operator
- Air Methods Corp
- Registered owner
- Air Methods Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 3, 2018
- Departed
- Omaha, NE
- Destination
- Norfolk, NE
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Temperature
- 9 °F, dew point 7 °F
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 977 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.