ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 30005
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| Date: | Saturday 7 October 2000 |
| Time: | 17:40 |
| Type: |  Hughes 369E |
| Owner/operator: | Southern California Edison Co. |
| Registration: | N819CE |
| MSN: | 0028E |
| Year of manufacture: | 1984 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 7772 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C20R/2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Kernville, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Big Creek, CA |
| Ontario, CA (ONT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter rolled over during an emergency landing following a severe vibration and loss of antitorque control. The pilot stated that he was descending from 7,500 feet msl with an indicated airspeed of 125 knots in mountainous terrain and light turbulence. The first indication of trouble was a loud snap sound from the rear of the helicopter, followed by violent airframe vibrations. The pilot reported that there were no unusual vibrations in any of the controls. He made a right turn to land on the best available terrain. As the turn was completed, antitorque control was lost, and the helicopter began a series of rapid clockwise spins. The helicopter spun at least three times before impact. Examination of the helicopter revealed a torsional failure of the tail rotor drive shaft at 8 inches forward of the aft Kamatics coupling. This failure is consistent with a tail rotor sudden stoppage. Leading edge tail rotor blade damage was observed to both blades, with red and blue color and material transfers evident. Examination of the tail rotor blade leading edges by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer of the accumulation revealed the material to be of a cellophane base. The pilot reported that prior to departure from Big Creek, he placed a red and blue checkered shirt contained in a plastic bag on the rear seat with other personal baggage. He speculated that during his descent from 7,500 feet, he had experienced some turbulence and the left rear door may have popped open. Neither the bag nor the shirt was recovered at the accident site.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper storage of personal items and his inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in the unlatching of the left rear cabin door during flight and allowing a plastic garment bag to blow out and strike the tail rotor.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X22178&key=1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:20 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 12-Dec-2017 19:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Sep-2019 14:52 | BEAVERSPOTTER | Updated [Aircraft type, Damage] |
| 07-Oct-2023 14:42 | harro | Updated [[Aircraft type, Damage]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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