Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Walterboro, South Carolina 29488
Tuesady, July 12, 1988 7:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE MILITARY SURPLUS HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A 42 DEGREE GEAR BOX FAILURE WHILE LIFTING A LOAD OF LOGS. THE HELICOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED HARD AS THE PLT WAS ATTEMPTING TO AUTOROTATE TO A LDG. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE GEARBOX REVEALED THAT A GEAR TOOTH ON THE INPUT QUILL PINION HAD FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. NO EVIDENCE OF PREEXISTING DAMAGE OR IMPROPER OVERHAUL PROCEDURES WAS FOUND. THE GEARBOX TSO WAS ABOUT 440 HRS. THE 42 DEG GEAR BOX MAY BE OVER- HAULED ON CONDITION. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER HAD EXPERIENCED IN EXCESS OF 13,000 LIFT CYCLES IN 380 HRS SINCE IT WAS PLACED IN SERVICE IN A LOGGING OPERATION. THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN FAA-CERTIFICATED IN THE RESTRICTED CATEGORY FOR EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATIONS; HOWEVER, BELL RPTS THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR REPEATED HEAVY LIFTING. THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 2 OTHER SIMILAR FAILURES INVOLVING SURPLUS UH-1/TH-1 HELICOPTERS USED IN LOGGING OPERATIONS. THE LANDING SITE WAS STREWN WITH CUT TIMBER AND SMALL TREES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/12/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 730 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | WALTERBORO |
| Event State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 29488 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| 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) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 2186 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 12 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 925 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 38697 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:54AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N465JR |
| NTSB Number | ATL88FA213 |
| 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 | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | TH-1L |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | TH-1L |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 157828 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 9500 |
| 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 | May 14 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 131 |
| Airframe Hours | 7676 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MOORE, W MARVIN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RT 2 BOX 100 |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEESES |
| Aircraft Owner State | SC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 29107 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | S. EASTERN HELICOPTER LOGGING |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | ROUTE 2 BOX 100 |
| Operator City | NEESES |
| Operator State | SC |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 29107 |
| Operator Code | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| 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 | Hover |
| 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 | -- |