Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lakeland, Florida 33811
Wednesday, September 5, 2007 15:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
At the start of applying up collective for landing in the Bell 206B3 helicopter, the helicopter began an uncommanded yaw to the right due to failure of the No. 5 tail rotor driveshaft. The helicopter landed hard causing substantial damage to the fuselage structure near the left aft cross tube attach point. The forward fitting of the No.5 tail rotor drive shaft exhibited bond area separation between the splined adapter and the shaft, with subsequent rotation. Cream and green colored adhesives were noted at the seam at the aft edge of the splined adapter, and red colored compound similar to torque paint was noted in the area of the green colored adhesive. Disturbed adhesive and remnants of old clear coat was noted at the seam of the fixed coupling adapter on the aft end of the drive shaft. Disassembly inspection of the No. 5 tail rotor drive shaft driveshaft revealed rotational scoring on the outer surface of the shaft tube and inner surface of the splined adapter at the forward end of driveshaft assembly. In May 1999, the helicopter was involved in a tail rotor sudden stoppage which resulted in damage to at least one tail rotor blade, and tail rotor hub and blades being "…scrapped due to [tail rotor] sudden stoppage." The tail rotor driveshafts were not replaced at that time as required by the maintenance manual, and remained installed until 2004, when they were removed for inspection due to the occurrence in May 1999. The tail rotor drive shafts were inspected and approved for return to service in 2004, by the same facility that had scrapped the tail rotor blades in 1999, which is contrary to the maintenance manual. The driveshafts were reinstalled, and at the time of the accident, the No. 5 tail rotor driveshaft had accumulated 245.8 hours since inspection, and 4,087.4 hours since new. NTSB review of photographs of the tail rotor blades installed in May 1999, revealed evidence of buckling of the skin near the tip of both blades.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of company maintenance personnel to replace the tail rotor drive shafts following tail rotor blade damage in 1999, the failure of maintenance personnel to replace the tail rotor drive shafts in 2004, following their knowledge that the tail rotor blades and hub were scrapped due to tail rotor blade damage, and improper inspection and return to service by an FAA approved repair station for their failure to condemn the tail rotor drive shafts in 2004, all of which resulted in failure of the No. 5 tail rotor drive shaft during approach for landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/5/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1515 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lakeland |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33811 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 275920N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0820107W |
| Event Location Airport | Lakeland Linder Regional |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LAL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 142 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1450 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KLAL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 142 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.96 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24412 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Tampa FAA/FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 13 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 21 2008 3:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | North Florida FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N267MW |
| NTSB Number | MIA07LA148 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206B3 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3149 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 96.8 |
| Airframe Hours | 4087.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Tiger Aviation Sales LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4025 S. Pipkin Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lakeland |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33811 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Tiger Aviation Sales LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 4025 S. Pipkin Road |
| Operator City | Lakeland |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 33811 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Oldsmar |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1445 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KLAL |
| Destination City | Lakeland |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 21 2008 3:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |