- Date
- April 9, 2008, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeland, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6261NVic Tatelman Baby Belle
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20080409836979A
- Case key
- 68224
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
The failure of the tailrotor driveshaft hanger bearing and jamming of the tailrotor.
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 was demonstrating a hovering maneuver during an airshow. During this maneuver, the helicopter began an uncommanded left turn and landed hard causing substantial damage. Inspection revealed that the #1 tailrotor drive shaft hanger bearing failed, then the tailrotor RPM sensor broke loose, and the tailrotor became jammed.
Factual narrative
On April 9, 2008, at 1200 edt, a Baby Belle, experimental rotorcraft, N6261N, landed hard at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, Florida, after experiencing a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. The experimental rotorcraft was substantially damaged. The pilot, the only occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight had departed Lakeland and was demonstrating a low altitude right pedal turn as part of the Sun n' Fun airshow.
The pilot reported that the aircraft had a Revolutions per Minute (RPM) sensor that got engaged in the tailrotor drive shaft, eventually breaking the shaft. An FAA inspector looked at the failure and said the rotor RPM sensor started vibrating due to the failure of the #1 hanger bearing, resulting in failure of the tail rotor drive shaft, and a jammed tail rotor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6261N
- Reported as
- Vic Tatelman Baby Belle
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- VWT-5
- Airframe hours
- 100
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Lakeland, FL
- Destination
- Lakeland, FL
- Airport
- KLAL · Lakeland Linder Regional Airpo
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 15, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.