Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vallejo, California 94590
Thursday, March 30, 1989 17:25 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING AN AIR TAXI CARGO FLIGHT ENGINE POWER WAS SUDDENLY LOST & THE PILOT AUTOROTATED TO A LANDING ON A WET MARSH. AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST THE MAIN ROTORS SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. EXAM OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE PC TUBE ASSEMBLY, P/N 6848471, HAD FAILED AT THE SCROLL FITTING FERRULE, & THIS BROKEN LINE CONDITION PRODUCED AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PC TUBE HAD A TOTAL OF 11.8 HOURS OF USE SINCE BEING INSTALLED/MANUFACTURED. A METALLURGICAL FAILURE ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE PC TUBE HAD FAILED IN FATIGUE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FATIGUE FAILURE OF A DEFECTIVE PC TUBE ASSEMBLY RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/30/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1725 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | VALLEJO |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 94590 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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) | 30 |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1862 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 31 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1635 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41025 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5108E |
| NTSB Number | LAX89LA141 |
| 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 | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 369D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 369D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 811075D |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| 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 | Mar 20 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 12 |
| Airframe Hours | 1697 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | R.S. AVIATION INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 11347 VAN OWEN |
| Aircraft Owner City | N. HOLLYWOOD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91605 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HELINET, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 16644 ROSCO BLVD. |
| Operator City | VAN NUYS |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91406 |
| Operator Code | HEPA |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 056 |
| Departure City | NOVATO |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1715 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CCR |
| Destination City | CONCORD |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | -- |