ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 76124
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| Date: | Wednesday 22 March 2006 |
| Time: | 16:00 |
| Type: |  MD Helicopters MD 902 Explorer |
| Owner/operator: | MD Helicopters, Inc. |
| Registration: | N912LH |
| MSN: | 900-00095 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 77 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mesa, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Mesa, AZ (FFZ) |
| Mesa, AZ (FFZ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The experimental category flight was being operated by the helicopter manufacturer under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The commercial certificated helicopter pilot was conducting a series of climbing and descending turns while a second helicopter, flying alongside, filmed the maneuvers. According to a safety representative for the helicopter manufacturer, all of the maneuvers were conducted within the normal limitations of the helicopter. The maneuvers were completed uneventfully, with no in-flight anomalies noted, and the helicopter returned to the manufacturer's base. While conducting a routine daily inspection of the helicopter in preparation for the next scheduled flight, maintenance technicians discovered damage to the main rotor hub's five pitch case assemblies, slightly aft of the upper damper cap. The damage was a result of the pitch cases striking the upper main rotor hub perimeter bolts. All five pitch cases were damaged beyond repairable limits, and were replaced. The safety representative for the helicopter manufacturer reported that the anticipated corrective action will be to increase the clearance between the pitch cases and the main rotor hub perimeter bolts by trimming additional material from the inboard and upper portion of the main rotor pitch case assemblies during the manufacturing process.
Probable Cause: The manufacturer's inadequate design clearance of the main rotor blade grip pitch cases, which resulted in damage to the pitch cases when they contacted main rotor perimeter bolts during maneuvering flight.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20060403X00379&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Aug-2010 08:38 | Alpine Flight | Added |
| 26-Feb-2013 09:17 | TB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Source, Damage] |
| 27-Feb-2013 03:25 | TB | Updated [Operator] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 05-Dec-2017 09:04 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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