Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mobile, Alabama 36560
Wednesday, December 29, 1993 16:55 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED FOR EXTERNAL LIFT, LONG-LINE LOGGING OPERATIONS. AFTER LIFTING A LOAD OF LOGS, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED CONTROL PROBLEMS WITH THE HELICOPTER. THE LOAD, AND THEN THE LONG LINE, WERE JETTISONED, AND AN EMERGENCY DESCENT WAS BEGUN TO THE REMOTE, TEMPORARY LOG HELIPORT. AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE HELICOPTER'S DESCENT RATE, CONTROL WAS LOST. POWER WAS REDUCED, A LEVEL ATTITUDE REGAINED, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE FUSELAGE THEN LANDED HARD. THE WRECKAGE WAS EXAMINED, WHICH REVEALED THAT THE COTTER PIN FOR THE RIGHT ROTOR HEAD TEETER PIN RETAINING NUT WAS ABSENT. ABSENCE OF THE COTTER PIN WOULD ALLOW THE TEETER PIN RETENTION NUT TO LOSE TORQUE, AND EVENTUAL SEPARATION OF THE ROTOR HEAD FROM THE HELICOPTER.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
AN INADEQUATE MAJOR REPAIR BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHO FAILED TO INSTALL THE COTTER PIN WHICH SECURED THE RETAINING NUT OF THE RIGHT MAIN ROTOR HUB TEETER PIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/29/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1655 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | MOBILE |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 36560 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1651 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 210 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MOB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 218 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1700 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| 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) | 2101 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 30 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1056 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5197W |
| NTSB Number | ATL94LA035 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | KAMAN |
| Aircraft Model | HH-43B/F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | HH-43B/F |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 59-1564 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 8800 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 14 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 51 |
| Airframe Hours | 6068 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SCOTT PAPER CO. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2600 RAILROAD STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | MT. VERNON |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 36560 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | SQRL |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | MT. VERNON |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| 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 | -- |