Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Amherst, Texas 79312
Sunday, October 19, 2008 16:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While in cruise flight, the helicopter experienced a hard right yaw and subsequent pitching moment up and down. The pilot was able to regain control of the helicopter and land without further incident. Examination revealed that the left vertical stabilizer control system adapter had failed. Metallurgical examination revealed that the failure mode was reverse bending fatigue. The vertical stabilizer control system adapter has been replaced with an improved design. Further, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) requiring all MD900 helicopter operators with the old VSCS tube adapters to comply with airspeed and autopilot restrictions. If an operator replaces the old VSCS tube adapter with the new design, the AD is not applicable.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the vertical stabilizer control adapter due to reverse bending fatigue.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 10/19/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Amherst |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 79312 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 340303N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1022800W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1400 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KCVN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| 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) | 25571 |
| NTSB Notification Source | MDHI |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 15 2009 10:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N902NM |
| NTSB Number | CEN09IA032 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MD Helicopter Inc |
| Aircraft Model | MD 900 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 900-00105 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6500 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 26 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2842 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Covenant Health System |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3615 19th Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lubbock |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79410 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Covenant Health System |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3615 19th Street |
| Operator City | Lubbock |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 79410 |
| Operator Code | L19A |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KLBB |
| Departure City | Lubbock |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1528 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KCVN |
| Destination City | Clovis |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 12 2009 4:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| 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 | Yes |
| Medical Flight | -- |