ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 293105
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: | Monday 5 September 2005 |
| Time: | 13:33 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 206B |
| Owner/operator: | Sundance Helicopters, Inc. |
| Registration: | N667JM |
| MSN: | 3444 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1981 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11596 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Long Beach, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Banner and glider towing |
| Departure airport: | Long Beach Airport, CA (LGB/KLGB) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter descended to ground impact after the tow rope of a banner became entangled in the tail rotor system, resulting in the in-flight separation of the tail rotor and tail rotor gearbox. During liftoff for a banner tow flight, the top rear corner of the banner became tangled with the top front corner. The pilot continued with the climb believing the banner would untangle itself. When the banner did not untangle itself, the pilot attempted to maneuver the helicopter and the banner back to the drop point on the airport, but during a slow descent, the banner rotated to a horizontal position, assumed an airfoil shape, and floated higher than the helicopter's position. The pilot said he could no longer see the banner in his rear view mirror, only the tow rope extending up and aft, and he was concerned that the rope might get into the tail rotor. The pilot chose not to release the banner as he descended slowly toward the drop point. The tow rope became entangled in the tail rotor system and the tail rotor gearbox separated from the tail boom. The helicopter then began to rotate. The pilot reduced the throttle to idle in an attempt to reduce the torque and rotations about the vertical axis. He then lowered the nose to gain airspeed. The helicopter impacted terrain in a near vertical attitude. The helicopter was equipped with an electrical and manual release for the banner tow hook.
Probable Cause: the pilot's decision not to release the banner when it became entangled on itself, which resulted in the banner tow rope becoming ensnarled with the tail rotor system.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX05LA289
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Oct-2022 16:07 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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