Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Duson, Louisiana 70529
Friday, July 30, 1993 9:30 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ENGAGED IN AN AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATION, THE PILOT HEARD BANGING NOISES AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO OVERSPEED. ALTHOUGH COLLECTIVE CONTROL WAS INEFFECTIVE, THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE HELICOPTER TO A HARD LANDING USING THROTTLE AND PARTIAL CYCLIC CONTROL. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THE TRANSMISSION MAST BEARING HAD FAILED, CONTAMINATING THE OIL WITH STEEL PARTICLES THAT OBSTRUCTED THE INTERNAL OIL PASSAGES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION MAST BEARING, RESULTING IN OIL CONTAMINATION AND SUBSEQUENT BLOCKAGE OF THE INTERNAL OIL PORTS AND PASSAGES. FACTORS WERE: TOTAL LOSS OF COLLECTIVE CONTROL AND PARTIAL LOSS OF CYCLIC CONTROL.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/30/1993
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 930
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City DUSON
Event State LOUISIANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 70529
Event Date Year 1993
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Witness
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 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
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) 23
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 20
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1489
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) 641
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 30 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1100
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 52794
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:28PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9014T
NTSB Number DEN93LA091
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 Continental Copters
Aircraft Model TOMCAT MK5A
Aircraft Series Identifier TOMCAT MK5
Aircraft Serial Number CC174-5
Certified Max Gross Weight 2450
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 9 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 358
Airframe Hours 3786
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PENN-TEX HELICOPTERS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 10410 E. HIGHWAY 90
Aircraft Owner City JEANERETTE
Aircraft Owner State LA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 70544
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PENN-TEX HELICOPTERS, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 10410 E. HIGHWAY 90
Operator City JEANERETTE
Operator State LA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 70544
Operator Code PCXG
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 0
Departure Time Zone
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 --