Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Leander, Louisiana 71445
Monday, August 1, 1994 13:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING AN IGNITION FIRE CONTROL FLIGHT AT 100 FEET AGL. THE PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION TO THE ONLY AVAILABLE FORCED LANDING AREA. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN HARD AND SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REALED THAT BOTH CONNECTING ROD BOLTS IN THE #1 CYLINDER WERE FRACTURED. A SAFETY BOARD METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE CONNECTING ROD BOLTS HAD FAILED DUE TO A PREEXISTING FATIGUE CRACK THAT EMANATED FROM THE HEAD-TO-SHOULDER FILLET RADIUS OF THE BOLT. THE ENGINE WAS LAST OVERHAULED IN 1970. THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER ADVISES IN THEIR SERVICE INSTRUCTION LETTER DATED 7/1/92 THAT 'ALL ENGINES THAT DO NOT ACCUMULATE THE RECOMMENDED TIME OPERATING HOURS BETWEEN OVERHAULS IN A TWELVE YEAR PERIOD, MUST BE OVERHAULED DURING THE TWELFTH YEAR.' TEXTRON LYCOMING MANDATORY SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 240M REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF THE CONNECTING ROD BOLTS AND NUTS EACH TIME THE ENGINE IS SUBJECT TO OVERHAUL.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND A FATIGUE FAILURE OF A #1 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD BOLT. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN AVAILABLE TO THE PILOT FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/1/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1345 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | LEANDER |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71445 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 9500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2006 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 1 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1709 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9062G |
| NTSB Number | FTW94LA253 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Hughes |
| Aircraft Model | 269A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 269A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 64-18149 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3307 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WARD, JAMES D. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 119 |
| Aircraft Owner City | RODESSA |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 71069 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | A2XG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| 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 | -- |