ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 296151
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| Date: | Thursday 6 March 2003 |
| Time: | 16:15 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 206L-3 |
| Owner/operator: | Critical Air Medicine, Inc. |
| Registration: | N793CA |
| MSN: | 51476 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1992 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5266 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C30P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Kingsland, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Marble Falls, TX |
| Llano, TX | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot started the engine of the helicopter prior to the two medical crewmembers boarding. One medical crewmember opened the aft cargo door, removed medical equipment, and then closed the door. He then checked the auxiliary power unit (APU) door and boarded the helicopter. During this time the second medical crewmember had boarded the helicopter. The pilot reported that the takeoff was normal. Ten minutes after takeoff, the helicopter was in cruise flight at 700 feet agl (8 miles from the destination) when a loud bang was heard. The helicopter yawed right and the nose dipped. The pilot lowered the collective and moved the throttle to flight idle. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard on soft terrain, amongst pecan trees, and came to rest upright. Examination of the accident site and helicopter revealed that a medical blanket had exited from the aft cargo compartment and contacted the tailrotor blades severing the tailrotor drive shaft. Examination of the aft cargo door revealed that its locking mechanism was not damaged, and operated normally.
Probable Cause: The loss of tail rotor drive as a result of a blanket coming in contract with the tailrotor blades, after the aft cargo door was left unsecured. Contributing factors were the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing, and the failure of the medical crewmember to properly secure the aft cargo door.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW03LA104
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 17:11 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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