ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 42633
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| Date: | Friday 22 April 1994 |
| Time: | 12:28 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 47D1 |
| Owner/operator: | New Tropical Adventures, Inc. |
| Registration: | N9660 |
| MSN: | 486 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 7502 hours |
| Engine model: | FRANKLIN 6V4-200-C32 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Marathon, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
WITNESSES HEARD A LOUD NOISE AS THE HELICOPTER WAS FLYING AT 100' TO 150' AGL & SAW SOMETHING FALL FROM THE TAIL BOOM. THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY NOSED DOWN & BEGAN SPINNING TO THE RIGHT. IT IMPACTED ON A ROCK ISLAND & CAME TO REST IN WATER NEXT TO THE ISLAND. THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX, TAIL ROTOR HUB & ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WERE NOT LOCATED AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS FOUND ALONG THE FLIGHTPATH IN 2 PIECES, ABOUT 150' FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX HAD SEPARATED DUE TO OVERSTRESS; ALL FRACTURES OF THE RECOVERED TAIL ROTOR BLADE WERE TYPICAL OF OVER- STRESS. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE HAD NO IMPACT MARKS ON THE LEADING EDGE OR TIP. NO PRECRASH FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE REMAINING STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, MAIN ROTOR BLADES, TRANSMISSION OR ENGINE WAS FOUND. A TAIL ROTOR STRIKE OCCURRED 130 FLIGHT HRS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT; THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE CHANGED, BUT THE HUB WAS NOT CHANGED AS REQUIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTION. THOUGH OPERATING FOR HIRE, HELICOPTER HAD FLOWN 130 HRS SINCE THE LAST MAINTENANCE INSPECTION. CALCULATIONS SHOWED THAT DURING TAKEOFF, THE HELICOPTER'S CG WAS 3.4' FORWARD OF THE FORWARD LIMIT. WITH LOSS OF THE SEPARATED PARTS, THE CG WOULD HAVE MOVED ABOUT 2' FURTHER FORWARD.
Probable Cause: SEPARATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO FOLLOW THE PROPER MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE AFTER A PREVIOUS TAIL ROTOR STRIKE, AND FAILURE TO CONDUCT A 100-HOUR INSPECTION WHEN DUE.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB MIA94FA125
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 10-Apr-2024 07:55 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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