Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Abbeville, Louisiana 70510
Thursday, June 6, 2013 11:15 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was on its first flight after extensive maintenance. As the pilot approached a canal at an altitude of about 20 feet, he heard a noise and then a loud "pop." The helicopter then started to spin to the right and the pilot was unable to stop the spin. After about two revolutions, the pilot reduced engine power to idle, and the helicopter collided with terrain and water.
Examination of the helicopter revealed that the connection between the tail rotor drive shaft and the tail rotor gear box was partially separated. Of the two bolts that connected the drive shaft to the coupling on the gear box, one remained secured by its associated nut; however, the other bolt had backed out of the drive shaft, but remained in the coupling, and its corresponding nut was missing. The helicopter had accrued about 0.7 flight hours since its most recent maintenance, which included removing and reinstalling the tail rotor gear box. It is likely that the maintenance personnel did not ensure adequate torque of a tailrotor drive shaft coupling bolt, which allowed it to be back out of the drive shaft.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Failure of maintenance personnel to ensure adequate torque of a tailrotor drive shaft coupling bolt, which resulted in the partial disconnection of the drive shaft.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/6/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1115 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Abbeville |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 70510 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| 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 | 1115 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KIYA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.84 |
| 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) | 31952 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 26 2013 4:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N720RL |
| NTSB Number | CEN13LA321 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206-L4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 52027 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 15 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7133 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HLW Aviation LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 725 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lumpkin |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 31815 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | T&M Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 9 Jimmy Vorhoff Drive |
| Operator City | Abbeville |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 70510 |
| 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) | External Load |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KIYA |
| Departure City | Abbeville |
| Departure State | LA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1040 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KIYA |
| Destination City | Abbeville |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 25 2013 10:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | hatc |
| 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 | -- |