Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Glady, West Virginia 26268
Sunday, January 12, 2003 12:20 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter came out of maintenance, the captain and first officer conducted a test flight, and then ferried it to the area of operation. The next day, the captain entered a 155-foot out of ground effect hover, and an external load was connected. About the same time, the helicopter started a slow uncommanded yaw to the right. The captain applied full left pedal, released the load, and entered an autorotation. Examination of the tailrotor control system revealed that the left anti-torque control cable was broken. The break was associated with a pulley assembly, the cable strands were bent rearward, and deformed. The cable fracture surfaces were irregular, and also deformed. The associated keeper pins displayed wear marks, and light scratches consistent with control cable contact. The associated pulley was intact. The pulley channel contained an oil-based debris, and control cable fragments. Both tailrotor cables were removed and reinstalled within the last 5.3 hours of operation by company maintenance personnel.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The improper installation of the left tailrotor control cable by company maintenance personnel.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/12/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1220 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Glady |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 26268 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 384755N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0794305W |
| 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 | 1251 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 140 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EKN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1987 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3200 |
| 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) | -7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.32 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14658 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 12 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1340 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 30 2003 8:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Charlestown |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8170V |
| NTSB Number | NYC03LA037 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Sikorsky |
| Aircraft Model | S-61A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | -- |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 10 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5.3 |
| Airframe Hours | 14591.2 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Carson Helicopters, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 828 Brookside Blvd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Grants Pass |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97526 |
| 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 | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | Glady |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | Glady |
| Destination State | WV |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Hover - out of ground effect |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 20 2003 11:22AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| 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 | -- |