- Date
- February 4, 1985, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Taholah, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8306FHughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 40110
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
The acft had lifted off during an external load operation when the plt felt a 'vibration/shudder'. The right skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled over during an attempt to maneuver the helicopter away from ground personnel. Inspection revealed the main rotor drive shaft separated aprx 3 inches from the splined end of the shaft. Metallurgical examination disclosed the shaft failed from unidirectional fatigue initiating from surface pits on the shaft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8306F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 380247D
- Airframe hours
- 17,396
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 375 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Registered owner
- Olympic Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 24, 1984 · 108 hours before
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,876 as pilot in command · 222 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HQM, 27 nm away
Other investigations on N8306F · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.