Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
David Wayne Hooks Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Spring, Texas 77379
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 10:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On July 30, 2014, about 1030 central daylight time, a Bell 206B, N866H, sustained substantial damage during engine start-up at the David Wayne Hooks Airport (DWH), Spring, Texas. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was owned by Helicopter Services Inc. and operated by the Harris County Sheriff's Office under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations as a Part 91 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The helicopter was departing on a local flight.
The pilot reported that he completed the preflight of the helicopter while it was still in the hangar, after which time the helicopter was moved onto the ramp. When the pilot arrived to start the helicopter, he was distracted by a phone call on his cellular phone and did not do an exterior check of the helicopter. The main rotor tie-down was still attached when the pilot engaged the engine. He was monitoring the cockpit gauges during the engine start when he noticed another officer approaching the helicopter waving his hands. He heard a "thump" and he initiated an emergency shutdown. The pilot stated that the engine start was aborted at 15 percent N1 (compressor speed), 25 percent N2 (power turbine speed), rotor rpm was less than 20 percent NR (main rotor rpm), and the TOT (turbine outlet temperature) did not exceed startup limits. He reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the helicopter before the accident.
The examination of the helicopter revealed that the tie-down strap had broken during the engine start and became caught on the tail rotor output shaft. The strap hit the tail boom and dented and gouged about the last two feet of the tail boom which required the skin to be replaced. The main rotor blade tip cap pulled loose. The main rotor blades were still serviceable, but they were replaced because they were 120 hours from the required replacement interval. The tail rotor blades were dented beyond limits and were replaced. The vertical fin was gouged; and although the honeycomb panel was repairable, the vertical fin was replaced instead of waiting for it to be overhauled. The tail rotor gearbox, the tail rotor hub, and the freewheeling unit needed to be inspected for sudden stoppage, which resulted in the units being overhauled. It was determined that the aggregate damage would affect the structural strength or performance of the helicopter and required major repair or replacement; therefore it was considered substantial damage.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/30/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Spring |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77379 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 300343N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0953310W |
| Event Location Airport | David Wayne Hooks Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DWH |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 120 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DWH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 120 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| 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) | 30.06 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KDWH 301453Z 16006KT 10SM FEW040 29/24 A3006 RMK A |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ASW-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2014 1:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | silj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N866H |
| NTSB Number | CEN14LA465 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3291 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3201 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 4 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 16 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7247 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HELICOPTER SERVICES INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 19931 STUEBNER AIRLINE RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | SPRING |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 773795472 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Harris County Sheriff's Office |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Spring |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77379 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | DWH |
| Departure City | Houston |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | DWH |
| Destination City | Houston |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 22 2014 6:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | silj |
| 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 | -- |