Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Blanchard, Idaho 83804
Sunday, August 27, 1989 22:04 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE EMERG MED SVC (EMS/MEDEVAC) HELICOPTER WAS EN ROUTE WITH A PLT, 2 MED PSNL & A PATIENT. THE PATIENT (A FUGITIVE WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND) WAS HANDCUFFED TO THE STRETCHER. DRG FLT, THE PLT RPRTD A PROBLEM WITH THE PATIENT & REQUESTED POLICE ASSISTANCE DRG ARRIVAL AT THE HOSPITAL. THE PLT THEN TRANSMITTED AN EXPLETIVE & RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST WITH THE ACFT. WRECKAGE WAS FOUND OVER A 1 MI AREA WITH EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLT BREAKUP & MAIN ROTOR CONTACT WITH THE COCKPIT & TAIL CONE. INV SHOWED EVIDENCE OF SWASHPLATE BRG SEIZURE. THE PITCH CHG LINK RODS & ROTATIONAL SCISSORS WERE BRKN IN THEDRCTN OF MAIN ROTOR ROTATION & CTC MARKS WERE FND ON THE FWD EARS OF THE ROTATING SWASHPLATE LUGS. DISASSEMBLY REVEALED FAILURE OF THE INNER & OUTER RACE LOCKS & SPALLING OF THE BRG RACES. LACK OF GREASE WAS NOTED IN THE BRG & THE BALL BRGSWERE DISCOLORED BLUE. WEAR MARKS ON THE BALL BRGS INDCD SCUFFING; 1 BALL BRG WAS FLUTED. THE BRG ASSEMBLY HAD ACCRUED 1.23 HRS OF OPN SINCE THE LAST 100 HR INSPN. LUBE REQUIRED EACH 400 HRS, COMPANY POLICY WAS TO LUBE AT 100 HR INTERVALS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
OVERHEATING AND SEIZURE OF THE SWASHPLATE BEARING, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE HELICOPTER AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/27/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2204 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | BLANCHARD |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83804 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| 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 | 2147 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 206 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SFF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1953 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| 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) | 2313 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1422 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 28 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1840 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39721 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N132SH |
| NTSB Number | DEN89FA202 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS-350D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1335 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4300 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 25 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 3486 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EAGLE HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SPOKANE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99212 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | IOAA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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 Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | EASTPORT |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2126 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 09WA |
| Destination City | SPOKANE |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 30 2004 10:25AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | Medical Emergency |