Accident Aerospatiale SA 316B N146RM,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 364216
 
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Date:Thursday 28 November 1991
Time:00:21 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic ALO3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Aerospatiale SA 316B
Owner/operator:Rocky Mountain Helicopters
Registration: N146RM
MSN: 1614
Year of manufacture:1969
Total airframe hrs:7525 hours
Engine model:TURBOMECA ARTOUSTE IIIB
Fatalities:Fatalities: / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Bridgeport, CA -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:Bridgeport, CA (Q18)
Destination airport:Reno, NV (NONE)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION (EMS-MEDEVAC) FLT WAS MADE AT NGT OVR MTN TRRN. THE PLT INTERRUPTED HIS NORMAL PSN RPRT & BROADCAST 'MAYDAY' 3 TIMES, GIVING HIS PSN TO A COMPANY DISPATCHER. HE DID NOT STATE THE NATURE OF THE EMERGENCY. NO FURTHER COMM WAS RECORDED. WITNESSES IN A SOUTHBOUND AUTO SAW THE HELICOPTER FLYING TOWARD THEM FROM THE SOUTH. THEY STATED THE HELICOPTER'S FUSELAGE STARTED ROTATING COUNTER-CLOCKWISE. IT THEN VEERED TO THE WEST, WENT OUT OF SIGHT, AND CRASHED. ALL MAJ COMPONENTS, EXCEPT ABOUT 33 INCHES OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT & ITS #5 BRG, WERE LOCATED. THE TAIL BOOM WAS FOUND IN 3 SECTIONS. ROTATIONAL & LONGITUDINAL SCORING DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON THE TAIL BOOM IN THE VCNTY OF THE #3 & #5 BRG SUPPORTS. A LAB RPRT STATED THAT THE ROTATIONAL DMG OCCURRED BEFORE THE GROSS DEFORMATION OF THE TAIL BOOM & SUBSEQUENT IN-FLT BREAKUP OF THE HELICOPTER.

Probable Cause: FAILURE OF THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT AND DRIVE SHAFT BEARING DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASON(S).

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX92FA054
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 2 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX92FA054

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
30 July 1970 ZK-HCX Helicopters (NZ) Ltd near Barrytown, West Coast unk
19 November 1980 N614RA Roberts Acft 1 N Gallup, NM w/o
27 November 1991 N146RM Rocky Mountain Helicopters 4 Bridgeport, CA w/o

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
19-Mar-2024 12:44 ASN Update Bot Added

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