Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738
Thursday, November 1, 1990 14:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE TWO PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT THEY HEARD A 'POP' SOUND, FOLLOWED BY THE HELICOPTER STARTING A CLOCKWISE SPIN TO THE RIGHT. THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED INTO THE TREES ON THE SIDE OF A STEEP SLOPE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT FAILED IMMEDIATELY FORWARD OF THE TAILBOOM EXTENSION TUBE. THE DRIVE SHAFT FAILED FROM FATIGUE CRACKING, PROPAGATING AT A HIGH RATE, SUGGESTING HIGH LOADS. THE T/R DRIVE SHAFT FORWARD BEARING HOUSING OUTER DIAMETER DIMENSION AND THE INNER DIAMETER OF THE TAILBOOM EXTENSION TUBE WERE WORN BEYOND REPLACEMENT LIMITS AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED ACCORDING TO THE BELL MAINTENANCE AND OVERHAUL MANUAL. THE PASSENGER THREE-PLACE BENCH SEAT HAD BEEN ALTERED SO THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SEAT BELTS HAD BEEN MODIFIED INTO ONE SINGLE LONG BELT. THE BELT COULD BE OPENED ONLY ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BELT; THE BUCKLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BELT WAS TAPED CLOSED WITH SILVER DUCT TAPE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE ACCIDENT WAS INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE OF THE HELICOPTER, ALLOWING A TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT BEARING TO EXCEED WEAR LIMITS. THIS RESULTED IN HIGH LOADS ON THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT, AND THE RESULTING FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE DRIVE SHAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/1/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | GATLINBURG |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37738 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 280 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TYS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 981 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2265 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 1 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44609 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 5:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N49DA |
| NTSB Number | ATL91FA013 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 47J-2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 47J-2 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1825 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 7 1990 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 85 |
| Airframe Hours | 8972 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PIGEON FORGE HELICOPTERS, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8275 HUNTER HALT COURT |
| Aircraft Owner City | DAYTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 45424 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PIGEON FORGE HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 8275 HUNTER HALT COURT |
| Operator City | DAYTON |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 45424 |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | PIGEON FORGE |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1350 |
| 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 | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 22 2001 3:51PM |
| 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 | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |