Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Monday, June 12, 1995 5:15 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE HELICOPTER PILOT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT ABOUT 250 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, TRANSPORTING LOGGING PERSONNEL TO A REMOTE AREA. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER, AND THE PILOT BEGAN AN AUTOROTATION TO A GRAVEL PIT. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE TAILBOOM WAS SEVERED, AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. DURING RECOVERY OF THE HELICOPTER, THE LIFTING CABLE BROKE, AND THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED TO THE GROUND FROM ABOUT 400 FEET. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FUEL CONTROL AND POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR DID NOT REVEAL ANY MALFUNCTION. EXAMINATION OF THE PNEUMATIC PC TUBE (AIR LINE) FROM THE PC FILTER TO THE GOVERNOR REVEALED AN AIR LEAK AT THE 'B' NUT ATTACHMENT TO THE GOVERNOR 'T' FITTING. LABORATORY TESTING REVEALED THAT A TORQUE OF 300 INCH POUNDS WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO STOP THE AIR LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFIED TORQUE VALUE WAS 100 INCH POUNDS. RECORDS SHOWED THAT ON 6/7/95, MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED TO REPLACE THE GOVERNOR AND TO CLEAN AND REINSTALL THE P2 AIR LINE; AND ON 6/11/95 (DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT), THE ENGINE SPEED HAD BEEN ADJUSTED. THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL FOR THE ENGINE WARNED THAT AIR LEAKS IN THE PNEUMATIC SENSING SYSTEM COULD RESULT IN FLAME-OUT, POWER LOSS, OR OVERSPEED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
AN AIR LEAK AT A 'B' NUT FITTING ON A PNEUMATIC PC TUBE TO THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR. COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DID NOT DETECT A LEAK AFTER PERFORMING MAINTENANCE ON THE GOVERNER AND P2 AIR LINE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/12/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 515 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | KETCHIKAN |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99901 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | Pilot |
| 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 | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 4 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1027 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 12 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N549SW |
| NTSB Number | ANC95LA075 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 500D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 500D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 800754D |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 18 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 76 |
| Airframe Hours | 4278 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SILVER BAY LOGGING INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| 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 | 8429 LIVINGSTON WAY |
| Operator City | JUNEAU |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 99801 |
| Operator Code | NSBR |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | FIRE COVE |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 430 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| 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 | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |