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| Date: | Thursday 22 April 1982 |
| Time: | 13:07 |
| Type: |  Bell 212 |
| Owner/operator: | Rotor-Aids |
| Registration: | N5752W |
| MSN: | 31137 |
| Engine model: | P & W PT6T3-3B-6 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 12 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Intracoastal Ci, LA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | High Island Blk |
| Intracoastal Ci, LA (ICY) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN A SUDDEN AND SEVERE RIGHT YAW OCCURRED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT WAS AUTOROTATED TO A DITCHING IN ROUGH WATER. TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE ON TOP OF A WAVE, THEN THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER. THE SURVIVORS DID NOT GET THE RAFT OUT. ANOTHER HELICOPTER ARRIVED BUT COULD NOT LAND IN THE ROUGH SEA. A LIFE RAFT WAS DROPPED, BUT IT WAS BLOWN DOWNWIND BY THE TIME A SURVIVOR (THE COPILOT) SWAM TO IT AND GOT IT INFLATED. THE COPILOT WAS UNABLE TO PADDLE AGAINST THE WIND TO THE OTHER SURVIVORS. THE HELICOPTER SANK BEFORE A RESCUE BOAT ARRIVED. HOWEVER, IT WAS RECOVERED, LATER. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FEMALE PORTION OF A TAIL ROTOR COUPLING, PN 204-040-604-5, HAD FAILED DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. THE PROPER TYPE OF LUBRICANT HAD BEEN USED. AN EXAM OF THE COUPLING SEAL, PN 204-040-611-1, REVEALED TEARS AND A CIRCUMFERENTIAL CUT, .14 TO .16 INCH LONG. GREASE WAS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE CUT AREA. THE HELICOPTER HAD ACCUMULATED 1226 HRS TOTAL TIME AND 376 HRS SINCE OVERHAUL. CAUSE:
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20020917X02107
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
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