- Date
- July 2, 1984, 17:14 local (23:14 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3173LBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840702032049A
- Case key
- 16226
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
Witnesses stated the helicopter entered a 'hard left turn' into a near inverted position before 'it went down hard and fast.' Inspection disclosed the metal connection for the left cyclic stick was broken in half. (Plt was flying from left seat.) Exam of the cyclic stick quick disconnect locking nut revealed it was held in place on the connector by 1 thread. Properly installed, the locking nut tightens down over 6 threads on the connector. When backed out to 1 thread, movement of the cyclic will not not produce a corresponding change in the lateral control hydraulic servos. The cyclic was last removed aprx 80 hrs prior to the accident during maintenance. On 7/17/84, bell issued operations safety notice which in part read, 'flight crews are cautioned to assure quick removal flight controls are properly installed prior to operating the helicopter.' Prior to this notice, no requirements existed to do so.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3173L
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3677
- Airframe hours
- 2,770
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20J, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ferris F. Hamilton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 20, 1983 · 805 hours before
- Departed
- Englewood, CO
- Airport
- APA · Arapahoe County
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 101 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- APA, 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.