Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fort Myers, Florida 33912
Monday, December 20, 1999 8:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to witnesses, the Lee County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) helicopter flew over the landing area and was on downwind when it suddenly turned to the right, and descend at a high rate of speed, in a nose low attitude, and impact a building. Postcrash examination revealed that the lateral control rod end fitting had separated from the control rod, and the fitting's bearing did not move freely, when compared to a normal rod end bearing. In addition, the rivet that normally passes through the lateral control rod and rod end fitting was missing. Dark and white deposits were found in the threaded region of the rod and rod end fitting, and laboratory analysis of those deposits revealed that the substances were aluminum oxides. Maintenance records show that the control rod had been inspected and modified by Heli-Tech, when the helicopter was first acquired, and had been delivered to the LCSO at about 3546 total flight hours. Following receipt of the helicopter from Heli-Tech, the operator's maintenance log did not indicate any specific maintenance entries related to the control rods. At the time of the accident the helicopter had accumulated 4419.4 flight hours.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
improper maintenance inspection of the helicopter by unknown maintenance personnel, resulting in a worn control rod bearing being continued in service, and subsequent separation, resulting in an in-flight loss of control and a crash.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/20/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 800 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | FORT MYERS |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33912 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| 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 | 753 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RSW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 31 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1741 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 20 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 17 2001 4:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N72LC |
| NTSB Number | MIA00GA057 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| 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 | OH-6A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | OH-6A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 68-17184 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 8 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 79 |
| Airframe Hours | 4419 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 14750 SIX MILE CYPRESS PARKWAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | FORT MYERS |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33912 |
| 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 | |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 745 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| 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 | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 17 2001 4:06AM |
| 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 | -- |