Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rockport, Texas 78381
Friday, December 1, 2000 16:19 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was returning to shore from an oil platform. The pilot had just made a "5 mile advisory call" announcing his intention to land at his destination when the engine chip light illuminated; this was followed by an immediate loss of engine power. The pilot initiated an autorotation, inflated the floats and made a mayday call. During the descent, he "had full [aircraft] control to include tail rotor authority." During landing, the tail rotor blades entered the water resulting in sudden stoppage of the tail rotor, which twisted the tail rotor drive shaft apart. Following the landing, the helicopter remained upright, and the pilot exited the helicopter after the main rotor blades came to a stop due to the "waves and wind." After he moved away from the helicopter, it rolled over. The pilot reported that the wind was from 045 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 25 knots. An examination of the turbine engine revealed that the N1 gas producer would not turn. Disassembly of the engine revealed that the compressor coupling adapter was fractured. Metallurgical examination indicated that the compressor coupling adapter had failed due to fatigue initiating from fretting at the outer surface where it contacted the impeller. The source of the fretting could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the loss of engine power during cruise flight due to the fatigue fracture of the compressor coupling adapter. A contributing factor was the high sea condition existing for the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/1/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1619 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | ROCKPORT |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78381 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| 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 | 3500 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 65 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 60 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 45 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10667 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 1 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 9 2001 3:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N222LM |
| NTSB Number | FTW01LA036 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 206B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1916 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 49 |
| Airframe Hours | 20893 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AMERICAN HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6610 STEWART ROAD, #154 |
| Aircraft Owner City | GALVESTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77551 |
| 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 | UP8A |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | MATAGORDA 603 |
| Departure State | GM |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1555 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | RKP |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 23 2001 4:00AM |
| 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 | -- |