ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295984
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| Date: | Saturday 19 April 2003 |
| Time: | 10:30 LT |
| Type: |  Hughes 369HS |
| Owner/operator: | Skj, Inc. |
| Registration: | N16Q |
| MSN: | 1290227S |
| Year of manufacture: | 1969 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8330 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Conroe, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Montgomery, TX |
| Conroe, TX | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot and his passenger/observer were assisting local authorities during a search mission involving a boating incident on the lake. The pilot flew the helicopter 20-30 feet over the water on a north-south pass parallel to the shoreline. Based on the observers sighting in the water, the pilot turned the helicopter to the left (made a 180 degree turn), flew over the lake, and then inbound near the shoreline. While hovering out of ground effect on a west southwest direction, the helicopter encountered a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and entered a spin to the right, which the pilot was unable to arrest. The helicopter impacted the water, and came to rest on its left side. The weather observation facility reported the wind from 130 degrees at 9 knots. The main rotor system hub assembly and components and the tail rotor driveshaft exhibited damage consistent with sudden stoppage associated with fuselage/water/ground. Metallurgical examination revealed that the main rotor driveshaft and, the tail rotor driveshaft fractured in torsional overload. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any discrepancies or anomalies that would have prevented operation of the helicopter prior to the impact.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inability to control the helicopter after encountering loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A contributing factor was the unfavorable winds.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW03LA134
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 15:08 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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