ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 131699
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| Date: | Tuesday 7 May 1991 |
| Time: | 13:10 |
| Type: |  Bell 206B-3 JetRanger III |
| Owner/operator: | Southern Belle Helicopters Inc |
| Registration: | N717NH |
| MSN: | 2847 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2966 hours |
| Engine model: | ALLISON 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Lockwood Drive, Market Street, Houston, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Houston, Texas |
| Lockwood Drive, Market Street, Houston, Texas | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On May 7, 1991, while on a flight over the metropolitan Houston area, to get aerial video footage, the main drive shaft coupling failed and the pilot was forced to make an immediate auto-rotation landing. He tried to land in a parking lot, but was unable to reach it. Subsequently, the helicopter crash landed on the roof of an apartment at Lockwood Drive, Market Street, Houston, Texas (close to Interstate I-10). On-board video equipment recorded the crash sequence.
An investigation disclosed the engine mount was oil soaked and had de-laminated, causing misalignment of the drive shaft. Also, a lack of lubrication was noted in the main drive shaft coupling. Other maintenance discrepancies were also noted during the investigation.
The NTSB determined the probable cause to be: Engine mount de-lamination and a lack of lubrication, causing the drive shaft to fail. Poor servicing of the helicopter was a related factor. Registration N717NH formally cancelled August 10, 1991 as "destroyed"
NOTE: A Bell B206B registered as N717NH was also reported to have crashed on May 11, 2002 at Rosenburg, Texas. However, this crash refers to a completely different 1989-built Bell B206B (c/no.1989) with the same registration. The registration N717NH was re-issued on October 4, 1994, and cancelled for the second time on March 7, 2007
Sources:
1. NTSB Identification: DEN91FA068 at https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X16975&key=1
2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=717NH
3. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=9487
4. http://hfdbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1990-SECTION-LOW-RES.pdf
5. https://www.slackdavis.com/practice-areas/aviation/helicopters/helicopter-cases-handled/
6. https://www.mapquest.com/us/tx/houston/77020/lockwood-dr-and-market-st-29.772642,-95.315142
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Apr-2016 17:02 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Apr-2016 17:15 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
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