Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Keller, Washington 99138
Friday, July 25, 2003 17:03 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was returning to pick up a load of water while engaged in firefighting operations. The helicopter was in cruise flight when the pilot radioed "I've got a problem" and "I'm going down." Witnesses observed rotor blades departing from the helicopter. On site examination revealed that all four main rotor blades had departed from their respective rotor hub/blade grip units coming to rest in a circumferential band within several hundred feet of the helicopter's ground impact point. Both main rotor hubs also departed the airframe and were located a short distance north and east of the ground impact site. Post crash examination revealed the presence of extensive corrosion fatigue cracking in the upper half of the blade grip plate associated with blade (s/n) 27B. The crack passed through the 7th blade retention bolt hole from the inboard section of the grip leaving the blade attached at the upper blade grip plate by one bolt inboard of the crack and 5 bolts outboard of the crack. The crack displayed corrosion fatigue striations through most of its surface. The number 7 blade retention bolt bushing was also found to have corrosion fatigue cracking in line with the grip crack. With a crack through the inboard section of the upper blade grip plate occurring, the rigidity of the associated blade (27B) would have been significantly weakened in the vertical axis and dynamic imbalance would have developed leading to successive separation of all four blades.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Corrosion fatigue within the blade retention bolt bushing(s) of the main rotor blade grip resulting in fatigue, cracking and ultimate separation of the upper grip plate. The separation of the upper blade grip plate led to a dynamic imbalance within the rotor system and the subsequent loss of all four rotor blades in flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/25/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1703 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Keller |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99138 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 480719N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1184456W |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1656 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 110 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GEG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2372 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 56 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.88 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16409 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SEA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 25 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2004 1:02PM |
| 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 | N314KA |
| NTSB Number | SEA03GA153 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Kaman |
| Aircraft Model | K-1200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | A940015 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 12000 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 24 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5.9 |
| Airframe Hours | 4583.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Superior Leasing LLC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2794 Foothill 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 | US Department of Interior (Bureau Indian Affairs) |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Boise |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 83706 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Keller |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1550 |
| 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 | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 6 2004 12:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |