Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Galveston, Texas 77550
Wednesday, July 13, 1994 8:38 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS CLIMBING THROUGH '...2,000 FEET WHEN A BUMP SIMILAR TO TURBULENCE WAS FELT. ANOTHER BUMP WAS FELT, FOLLOWED BY A MORE PRONOUNCED BUMP, THEN AIRCRAFT CONTROL WAS LOST.' HE ADDED THAT THE CYCLIC AND COLLECTIVE WERE UNRESPONSIVE. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE WATER IN THE GULF OF MEXICO APRX 11 MILES OFFSHORE. ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS, EXCEPT THE VERTICAL FIN AND TAILROTOR GEARBOX, WERE RECOVERED. DURING A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE HELICOPTER, THE LEFT LATERAL SERVO ROD END WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED FROM THE SERVO EXTENSION. THE THREADS ON THE ROD END WERE INTACT AND APPEARED UNDAMAGED; HOWEVER, ONLY REMNANTS OF THE MATING INTERNAL THREADS IN THE SERVO EXTENSION REMAINED. ALMOST THE ENTIRE THREAD PROFILE WAS WORN AWAY LEAVING ONLY THE THREADED AREA THAT HAD BEEN LOCATED WITHIN THE KEYWAY SLOT OF THE ROD END. THE ZER0-TIME SERVO HAD BEEN INSTALLED 416 FLIGHT-HRS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE LEFT LATERAL SERVO, WHICH IS CONNECTED BY A PUSH ROD TO THE CONTROLS AT THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD, CHANGES THE ATTITUDE OF THE HELICOPTER BY CHANGING THE ANGLE OF ATTACK OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INADEQUATE TORQUING OF THE LEFT LATERAL SERVO BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, WHICH ALLOWED IT TO BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE CONTROLS, LEADING TO AN IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/13/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 838 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | GALVESTON |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77550 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 850 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 315 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GLS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 7 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 25 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1241 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 13 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1045 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N350WM |
| NTSB Number | FTW94FA231 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350B1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS-350B1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2099 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4850 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 16 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 96 |
| Airframe Hours | 2704 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AMERICAN EUROCOPTER CORP. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2701 FORUM DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | GRAND PRAIRIE |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75053 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SEA-LINK HELICOPTERS, INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 905 FAIRFAX DRIVE |
| Operator City | GRETNA |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 70056 |
| Operator Code | SYLA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 830 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | OIL TANKER |
| Destination State | GM |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |