ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 33305
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 3 November 1998 |
| Time: | 11:30 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 206L-3 LongRanger III |
| Owner/operator: | Sundance Helicopters |
| Registration: | N946L |
| MSN: | 51078 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1984 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10409 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C30P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mountain Ridge, 8 miles W of Pioche, Nevada, at 9,200 feet amsl -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Caliente, NV |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was approaching a narrow ridge. About 25 feet agl, he ran out of left pedal and the helicopter began an uncommanded right turn. The pilot reported that he attempted to gain altitude in order to remain on the ridge. He then entered an autorotation and the aircraft impacted the ground in a level attitude and rolled onto its left side. Review of the maintenance records revealed that on October 30, 1998, the maintenance facility had removed the tail rotor hub and blade assembly from the accident aircraft, and replaced it with the tail rotor hub and blade assembly from a Bell 206L-1. This was the first flight since the replacement. The Director of Maintenance reported that the maintenance technician did not perform a rigging check after installing the new assembly because he assumed that the same assembly did not require a check. According to the maintenance records, the tail rotor pitch links that were installed on the accident aircraft were Part Number 206-010-795-101. The maintenance manual states that the pitch links for a Bell 206L-3 should be Part Number 206-010-795-105. According to a representative from Bell Helicopter Textron, all the parts from the tail rotor hub and blade assembly are compatible from the Bell 206L-1 to the Bell 206L-3, except for the tail rotor pitch links. He further stated that the tail rotor pitch links on the Bell 206L-1 are smaller than those from the Bell 206L-3, and would give the pilot less tail rotor authority.
Probable Cause: The loss of tail rotor effectiveness, due to the installation of incorrect pitch links by the maintenance facility. A factor in the accident was the lack of an adequate quality assurance program in the maintenance facility.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX99LA022
FAA register: 2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=946L
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 29 May 2018 | N512RL | Rotorcraft Leasing Corp (RLC) | 0 | Offshore Installation, Gulf of Mexico | |
unk |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 08-Apr-2015 23:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 04-Apr-2024 14:45 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation