- Date
- March 30, 1987, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln, NE
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N4GHAgusta A109
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 34308
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
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
The PIC stated that he was ground taxiing the helo to the ramp area at duncan aviation to shutdown for refueling. During the taxi, the PIC heard a loud 'bang' eminating fm the rear of the helo. The PIC lowered collective pitch and no further noise was heard and no vibration was felt. The PIC re-applied collective pitch to move forward when the helo began to yaw and vibrate. At this point the PIC lowered collective to flat pitch and shutdown the eng. Removal revealed a broken portion of the t/r driveshaft about 1 ft forward of the gearbox. Metallurgical examination by the NTSB lab and an independent metallurgist concluded that the driveshaft failed in a manner characteristic of torsional overload. The PIC stated that no contact with the grnd or stationary object had occurred.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4GH
- Reported as
- Agusta A109
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7151
- Airframe hours
- 2,023
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rodgers Helicopter Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 14, 1986 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- Omaha, NE
- Destination
- LNK · Lincoln, NE
- Flight plan
- 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
- 45
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,334 total · 68 in this make and model · 8,012 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F