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| Date: | Thursday 20 August 1998 |
| Time: | 22:14 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 222SP |
| Owner/operator: | Rocky Mountain Holdings |
| Registration: | N30SV |
| MSN: | 47044 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3251 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C30G |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Spencer, IA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Sioux Falls, SD (1SD9) |
| (1IA3) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
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: 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.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI98FA323
Location
Media:
Whitney: Tracing heroism through tragedy of 1998 Sioux Valley Bell 222 helicopter crash.https://t.co/GCqfQiU7Oo pic.twitter.com/RC4Z1fQ1s1
— Planes Of Legend (@PlanesOfLegend) 24 août 2018
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, ] |
| 06-Apr-2024 14:32 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
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