Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mullan, Idaho 83846
Tuesady, June 26, 2001 8:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was preparing to lift a load of logs from a 150-foot hover in the Kaman HH-43B helicopter when a total loss of power occurred. He transitioned into an autorotation colliding with the steeply sloped, tree covered terrain. A partial disassembly of the ex-military Lycoming T53-L-13B turboshaft engine revealed that the 1st stage gas producer turbine rotor sealing disc was fractured and had broken into three approximately equal sized segments. Metallurgical examination of the disc fragments revealed fatigue cracks through three of the six cooling holes, and examination of the fracture faces for all three cooling holes by scanning electron microscope revealed multiple fatigue striations at each fracture face.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The development of multiple fatigue cracks which ultimately resulted in the fracture of the 1st stage gas producer turbine rotor sealing disc. Factors contributing to the accident were mountainous/hilly and unsuitable terrain conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/26/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 845 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Mullan |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83846 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 855 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | COE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2318 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 48 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12698 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SEA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 26 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 938 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 25 2003 9:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | SPOKANE FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N556D |
| NTSB Number | SEA01LA121 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Kaman |
| Aircraft Model | HH-43B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 59-1556 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 9150 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 22 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 12 |
| Airframe Hours | 11811 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Jorgenson, Gary N. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 524 Kleinschmidt Flat Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Ovando |
| Aircraft Owner State | MT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 59854 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Precision Helicopters LLC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | HCR 85, BOX 139X |
| Operator City | Bonner's Ferry |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 83805 |
| Operator Code | PZ7L |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Mullan |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 815 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| 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 | Hover - out of ground effect |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 23 2002 7:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |