Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Riviera Beach, Florida 33404
Friday, August 19, 1988 7:10 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE TRAFFIC WATCH HELICOPTER WAS CRUISING NORTHBOUND ALONG THE INTERSTATE AT 450 FT AGL & 85 KTS AIRSPEED. A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD & THE TAIL ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. THE ACFT BEGAN AN UNCOMMANDED RIGHT TURN WHICH WAS ARRESTED IN ABOUT 1/4 TURN. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO AUTOROTATE INTO AN OPEN FIELD JUST EAST OF THE HWY, BUT STRUCK A 25 FT TREE AT THE EDGE & CRASHED. AN EXAM REVEALED THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX HOUSING, P/N 369A5400-607, HAD FAILED. A PORTION OF THE HOUSING, DRIVEN GEAR, TAIL ROTOR BLADES & RELATED COMPONENTS SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT IN FLT. THE MISSING PARTS SANK IN A LAKE ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM THE CRASH SITE & WERE NOT RECOVERED. THE REMAINING SECTION OF THE BOX WAS EXAMINED BY NTSB LAB & FAILURE WAS DUE TO OVERLOAD WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE OR CORROSION. A WITNESS SAW 2 OBJECTS FALL FROM THE HELICOPTER. ONE OBJECT WAS WHITE AND LOOKED LIKE A BIRD, PROBABLY A SEAGULL. THE OTHER OBJECT LOOKED LIKE A STICK OR A 2X4 PIECE OF WOOD.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/19/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 710 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | RIVIERA BEACH |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33404 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 700 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PBI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 19 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2200 |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1525 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 19 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 810 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 37678 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3766Z |
| NTSB Number | MIA88FA257 |
| 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 | 500 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 500 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 440588S |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2700 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 1 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 4635 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TRAFFICOPTERS, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 17450 104 TERR |
| Aircraft Owner City | JUPITER |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33478 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | TRAFFICOPTERS, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 17450 104 TERR. |
| Operator City | JUPITER |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 33478 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PBI |
| Departure City | WEST PALM BEACH |
| Departure State | FL |
| 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 | Descent |
| 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 | -- |