- Date
- June 17, 1988, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Springtown, PA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N114FHBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880617023629A
- Case key
- 36004
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
While in cruise flight, ground witnesses observed the helicopter make two violent roll maneuvers followed by an in-flight breakup. Aircraft wreckage was spread over an area of approximately 10 acres. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the collective idler link and retaining pin assembly were missing and the lower attaching stud of the idler link showed evidence of failure. The stud was bent in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation and sheared nut threads and cotter pin remains were found in the stud threads and cotter pin hole, respectively. The h-shaped idler lever that connects the upper end of the idler link to the swashplate drive collar was found attached to the collar and showed no evidence of distress. It could not be determined why the retaining pin connecting the collective idler link to the idler lever separated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N114FH
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45508
- Airframe hours
- 1,826
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28B, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Fleet Helicopter Services, doing business as Fleet Helicopter Services
- Registered owner
- Equipment Leasers, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 16, 1987 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- A7N · Manville, NJ
- Destination
- 63N · Coopersburg, PA
- 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,702 total · 92 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N114FH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.