Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cullman, Alabama 35055
Tuesady, June 15, 1993 14:02 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, HE HEARD A 'SNAP' SOUND, AND THE HELICOPTER YAWED ABOUT 30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. HE OBSERVED THE LEFT ANTITORQUE PEDAL TO BE INOPERATIVE. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS MAINTAINED WITH ENGINE POWER ADJUSTMENTS. A RUN ON LANDING WAS PERFORMED AT THE BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT. THE HELICOPTER WAS THEN TOWED FROM THE RUNWAY. AN INSPECTION OF HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT THE LEFT TAIL ROTOR CABLE ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED IN THE VICINITY OF A PULLEY. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION INDICATED THAT THE CABLE FAILED FROM SEVERE WEAR OF THE INDIVIDUAL WIRES OF THE CABLE STRANDS. THE CABLE WAS INSPECTED 521 HOURS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT; MAINTENANCE MANUAL DICTATES CABLE INSPECTION AT EVERY 750 HOUR INSPECTION. CABLE WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THIS HELICOPTER (4110 HRS TOTAL TIME).
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO PROPERLY INSPECT THE TAIL ROTOR CONTROL CABLE AT THE LAST 750 HOUR INSPECTION, AND THE SUBSEQUENT TOTAL FAILURE OF THE CABLE DUE TO WEAR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 6/15/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1402 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | CULLMAN |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35055 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1350 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 170 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BHM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 644 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 5026 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 15 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1703 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N110AL |
| NTSB Number | ATL93IA111 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SIKORSKY |
| Aircraft Model | S-76A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | S-76A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 760190 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10500 |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 20 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 128 |
| Airframe Hours | 4110 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SOUTHERN COMPANY SERVICES, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4301 EAST LAKE BLVD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35217 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SOUTHERN COMPANY SERVICES, INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 4301 EAST LAKE BLVD. |
| Operator City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 35217 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Executive/Corporate |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BHM |
| Destination City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |