ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38840
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Date: | Thursday 20 August 1998 |
Time: | 21:14 LT |
Type: | Bell 222SP |
Owner/operator: | Rocky Mountain Holdings LLC |
Registration: | N30SV |
MSN: | 47044 |
Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
Total airframe hrs: | 3251 hours |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Category: | Accident |
Location: | near Spencer, IA -
United States of America
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Ambulance |
Departure airport: | Sioux Falls, SD (1SD9) |
Destination airport: | Spencer, IA (1IA3) |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:In-flight break-up due to fatigue failure.
NTSB final report (see complet report link below):
Analysis
The helicopter experienced an in-flight break-up when it was traveling at about 130 knots at 960 feet above the ground. The wreckage path was on a 090 heading between 0.8 to 1.2 miles west of the Spencer, Iowa, airport. Examination of the swashplate outer ring pins revealed a bending fatigue fracture occurred in the 'white' pin. The fatigue cracking originated in the undercut fillet radius adjacent to the head of the pin. The 'white' and 'red' bores and the 'red' pin (The white pin was not located) were checked for proper dimensions. The examination indicated an insufficient interference fit between the outer swashplate bores and the outer diameter of the swashplate ring pins.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The below standard (loose) fit of the 'white' swashplate outer ring pin resulting in fatigue and subsequent separation of the pin, and ultimately the in-flight breakup of the rotorcraft. A factor was the manufacturer's dissemination of the pin which did not meet dimensional standards.
Sources:
https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001211X10786&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=FA Previous occurence in 1992 :
https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001211X15355&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=LA Media:
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
24-Oct-2008 10:30 |
ASN archive |
Added |
16-Mar-2011 15:19 |
TB |
Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Destination airport, Source] |
30-Nov-2012 02:46 |
TB |
Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
21-Dec-2016 19:23 |
ASN Update Bot |
Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
24-Aug-2018 21:58 |
Iceman 29 |
Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
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