Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
W. Cameron 617 Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
W. Cameron 617
Friday, November 4, 1988 6:51 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ACFT WAS DEPARTING AN ELEVATED HELIDECK ON AN OFFSHORE PRODUCTION PLATFORM WHEN IT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR THRUST AND ACFT CONTROL DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AS THE PLT INITIATED HIS TAKEOFF WITH THE ACFT HAVING JUST CLEARED THE DECK AND RECOVERY WAS NOT POSSIBLE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE DRIVE SHAFT HAD FAILED AS A RESULT OF FATIGUE CRACKING IN AN AREA OF FRETTING WHERE THE SHAFT WAS BONDED AND BOLTED TO ITS COUPLING. THIS AND PREVIOUS FAILURES IN THE SAME AREA INDICATED THAT THE SHAFT WAS UNDER DESIGNED FOR THE APPLICATION AND NORMAL OPERATING STRESSES. SHAFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RE-DESIGNED AND THE FLEET RETROFITTED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHICH OCCURRED WHEN THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT EXPERIENCED A FATIGUE INDUCED MATERIAL FAILURE AND TAIL ROTOR THRUST WAS LOST. EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE SHAFT WAS UNDER DESIGNED FOR THE LOADS THAT WERE ENCOUNTERED DURING NORMAL OPERATIONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/4/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 651 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | W. CAMERON 617 |
| Event State | GULF OF MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00000 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | W. CAMERON 617 |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | WC61 |
| 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 | 183 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 600 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | C556 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 180 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| 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) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 25 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 35 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 6 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2512 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 4 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 741 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39795 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N355EH |
| NTSB Number | FTW89FA013 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS-355F-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS-355F-1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5137 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5291 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 3 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 8747 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ERA HELICOPTERS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 6550 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAKE CHARLES |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70606 |
| 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 | ERAL |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | W. CAMERON 617 |
| Departure State | GM |
| 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 | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |