Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Richard Arthur Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Berry, Alabama 35546
Friday, September 7, 2001 10:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While maneuvering, at a low altitude, the pilot heard "a pop or a bang outside the helicopter." As the pilot started a left turn, he noticed a "mushiness" in the cyclic control, followed by a loss of left and right cyclic control. The pilot attempted to reach a clearing, but the helicopter went into an uncommanded left turn. When the pilot attempted to slow the helicopter with the collective, the helicopter tilted back to the right, impacted a small tree, touched down on its right skid first, and flipped up on its nose. Examination of the wreckage revealed "ground metal shavings" near the rotor head stabilator damper horn assembly where the control horn attach to the splined shaft.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the main rotor system stabilizer damper control horn assembly, resulting in an uncontrolled descent and subsequent collision with a tree and terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/7/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Berry |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35546 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Richard Arthur Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | M95 |
| 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 | 364 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1017 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BHM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 644 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1500 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KBHM 071253Z 13007KT 7SM SCT010 24/22 A3007 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12156 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 7 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 28 2002 10:10AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Birmingham FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6327D |
| NTSB Number | ATL01LA108 |
| 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 | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 47G |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 828 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2350 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 5 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 53 |
| Airframe Hours | 6743 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Helicopter Services of Alabama |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1168 Bunker Loop |
| Aircraft Owner City | Delta |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 36258 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Mt. Hebron Helicopters |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 651 Glory Road |
| Operator City | Beaverton |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 35544 |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | M95 |
| Departure City | Fayette |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 940 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| 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 | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 8 2002 12:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 4838 |
| Runway Width | 80 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |