Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jefferson, Maryland 21755
Tuesady, September 25, 1990 10:35 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE ACFT CAME APART IN THE AIR. RADAR DATA SHOWS THE ACFT AT 2600 FT WHEN IT TURNED ABOUT 35 DEGREES RIGHT IN ABOUT 4 SECONDS. THE ACFT SUSTAINED GENERAL DISINTEGATION. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE SPLINES OF THE TAIL ROTOR SPLINED DRIVE SLEEVE WERE EXCESSIVELY WORN, RENDERING LOSS OF TRANSMISSION OF TORQUE TO THE TAIL ROTOR. TWO OTHER HU-269 ACFT HAD SIMILIAR WEAR OF THE SPLINED SLEEVE. 300-HR INSPECTION REQUIRES THAT THE UPPER PULLEY ASSEMBLY BE REMOVED AND INSPECTED, AND BEARINGS LUBRICATED. SCHWEIZER ACFT CORP HAD ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN N-219 A MONTH BEFORE THE ACCIDENT WHICH REQUIRED RETORQUING OF THE SPLINE RETAINING NUT. HOWEVER, THE ACFT WAS WITHIN THE REQUIRED COMPLIANCE TIME, AND THE BULLETIN WAS NOT DONE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM DUE TO A WORN TAIL ROTOR SPLINED DRIVE SLEEVE, AND INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND/OR INSPECTION BY THE OPERATOR. CONTRIBUTING TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL WAS THE STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ROTOR RPM DUE TO INEXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/25/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1035 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | JEFFERSON |
| Event State | MARYLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 21755 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 95 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 195 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IAD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 313 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.8 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2311 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 25 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1035 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45535 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1094D |
| NTSB Number | BFO90FA079 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 269C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 600935 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WHITE OX ENTERPRISE INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | ROUTE 1 BOX 248 |
| Aircraft Owner City | STRASBURG |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 22657 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NEW HORIZON AVIATION, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 466 |
| Operator City | ROUND HILL |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 22141 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | W16 |
| Departure City | WINCHESTER |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FDK |
| Destination City | FREDERICK |
| Destination State | MD |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |