- Date
- November 16, 1992, 06:34 local (14:34 UTC)
- Place
- Carlsbad, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N220ALHughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921116046859A
- Case key
- 27868
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 overrunning clutch assembly bearing for undetermined reasons.
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
During flight the aircraft began to vibrate severely, and then there was a loud bang. The aircraft began to descend with smoke in the cabin, and the engine out light and horn was activated. During landing, the helicopter settled into the dirt, rocked forward, then aft. According to the pilot, the main rotor blades struck the tail boom due to low rotor RPM. Examination revealed that an overrunning clutch bearing had failed. A metallurgical examination could not determine the cause of the failure because of the extent of damage. The bearing assembly & inner race (shaft) was exposed to temperatures greater than 1500 deg f. the overrunning clutch was reportedly lubricated 7 hrs prior to the accident, at the last 100-HR inspection. The inspection is also considered a 300-HR inspection; according to mdhc at the 300-HR inspection the bearing is to be removed, cleaned, inspected and repacked.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N220AL
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1090606D
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 320 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Haverfield Corporation
- Registered owner
- Haverfield Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 12, 1992 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- NONE · Palomar, CA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,805 total · 4,430 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N220AL · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.