Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Clay, New York 13041
Monday, July 9, 2001 17:25 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was in cruise flight when the pilot heard a "bang," and lost tailrotor authority. The pilot maneuvered for landing, and then reduced airspeed in anticipation of landing. The helicopter began to rotate. About 30 to 50 feet agl, the pilot pulled collective to cushion the landing. The helicopter impacted the ground and rolled onto its side. The helicopter received an annual inspection 11 months and 23.3 flight hours prior to the accident. During the annual inspection, the mechanic documented that airworthiness directive (AD) 76-18-01 had been complied with. Examination of the left aft cluster fitting revealed that the tailboom attaching point had separated severing the tailrotor drive shaft. The fracture surfaces for the cluster fitting were relatively flat with smooth curving boundaries, "features typical of fatigue." Most of the relatively rough area in the lower lug had curving arrest lines, "features typical of low-cycle fatigue." AD 76-18-01 stated that within 50 flight hours of the effective date of the AD, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 50 hours of flight time, or until modifications are accomplished, the tailboom support strut aluminum end fittings were to be visually inspected for deformation or damage, and then checked for cracking using dye penetrant. If cracking or damage was identified the effected structure would have had to been replaced. The AD required the dye penetrant inspection be done in accordance with Service Information Notice N-82.3. In addition, the Service Information Notice stated that a daily visual inspection was required, which the pilot stated he performed prior to the flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Failure of the left aft cluster fitting due to a fatigue crack. Factors in the accident were the mechanic's failure to identify the crack at the last annual inspection, and the pilot's failure to identify the crack during the last daily inspection
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/9/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1725 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Clay |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 13041 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | 1754 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 145 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SYR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 421 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.76 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11277 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Eastern Region Ops Cntr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 9 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1816 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2002 7:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Rochester FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7028V |
| NTSB Number | NYC01LA167 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Hughes |
| Aircraft Model | 269A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 76-0622 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1365 |
| 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 | Jul 26 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 23.3 |
| Airframe Hours | 5631.75 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Mark R. Parker |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Syracuse |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 13207 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FZY |
| Departure City | FULTON |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1615 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SYR |
| Destination City | SYRACUSE |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 4 2001 9:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COXP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |