Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cocolalla, Idaho 83809
Monday, May 20, 2002 17:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot of the Kaman K-600 (HH-43) rotorcraft began to reduce collective to stop the climb and bring the hook into position for another log pickup when the collective effectively jammed at a high power setting forcing the rotorcraft into a climb. The pilot was able to utilize an alternative means of reducing power and, after flight testing the rotorcraft successfully, landed without damage or injury. Post-incident examination revealed that the four hex head bolts that secure the RPM compensator assembly control box into the cabin ceiling had been installed in reverse; such that each bolt head was at the top of the control box with each threaded bolt end extruding downward through the control box bolt retaining ears. This allowed the clevis of the compensator telescopic unit, linked to the collective, to jam against the extended bolt end. The maintenance instructions contained in the Technical Order (T.O.) for the HH-43 were found to contain no instructions relating to the proper orientation of the bolts at installation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The reverse installation of the RPM compensator assembly control box bolts resulting in the threaded end of the bolt impinging on a clevis and jamming the collective during climb. A contributing factor was the lack of adequate documentation provided by the technical order instruction for installation of the compensator.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 5/20/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Cocolalla |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83809 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 480443N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1163749W |
| 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 | 1755 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 186 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | COE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2318 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| 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) | 29.79 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13521 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Spokane |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 31 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1219 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2003 9:51AM |
| 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 | N286M |
| NTSB Number | SEA02IA096 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Kaman |
| Aircraft Model | K-600 (HH-43B) |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 110 |
| 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 | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 20 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JC Helicopter Services, LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 1401 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Priest River |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83856 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Ione |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99139 |
| Operator Code | J14L |
| 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 | Cocolalla |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1545 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| 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 | Apr 14 2003 3:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |