Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Schaumburg Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Schaumburg, Illinois 60172
Monday, September 20, 2010 17:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While the helicopter was hovering prior to departure for a routine training flight, a bolt and its associated hardware for the left aft cluster fitting of the tail boom assembly departed the helicopter. Subsequently, the instructor initiated a forced landing and the helicopter came to rest upright. Examination of the bolt and lock nut revealed incomplete threads at the pinch point of the locking stake due to a manufacturing defect. The bolt and lock nut assembly were installed as part of an aft cluster fitting modification that was performed about 4 months and 216 operational hours prior to the accident. As a result of the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive for owners to check the lock nuts.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight separation of the left aft cluster fitting assembly following the loss of torque on the lock nut due to a manufacturing defect.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/20/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1720 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Schaumburg |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60172 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 415921N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0880604W |
| Event Location Airport | Schaumburg Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 06C |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1700 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 236 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DPA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| 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) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28034 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 11 2011 3:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | andj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N34LB |
| NTSB Number | CEN10LA560 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 780714 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 10 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 65 |
| Airframe Hours | 1759 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BACHMAN AERO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3801 OAKTON ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | SKOKIE |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60076-3429 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | BACHMAN AERO |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3801 OAKTON ST |
| Operator City | SKOKIE |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 60076-3429 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 06C |
| Departure City | Schaumburg |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1720 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 06C |
| Destination City | Schaumburg |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 11 2011 3:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | andj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |