MONCKS CORNER, SC, USA
N67HJ
BELL 205A-1
THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED FOR LOGGING USING AN EXTERNAL LIFT LONG LINE. A LOAD OF LOGS WAS RETURNED TO THE LOGGING LANE BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO HEAVY. AS THE HELICOPTER WAS BROUGHT TO A HOVER, & THE LOAD PICKLED, THE GROUND CREW OBSERVED THAT THE HELIOCPTER BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE HELICOPTER NOSE PITCHED UP, IT ROLLED LEFT, & FELL TO THE GROUND FROM ABOUT 200 FEET. EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT NONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR PILLOW BLOCK BOLTS WERE PRESENT. DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR WAS CONSISTENT WITH A FAILURE OF ONE OF THE BOLTS, IN-FLIGHT, WHICH RESULTED IN SEPARATION OF THE MAIN ROTOR FROM THE MAST. LABORATORY EXAM OF THE MAIN ROTOR REVEALED THAT MFGRS OVERHAUL PROCEDURES WERE NOT FOLLOWED WHICH PROBABLY ALLOWED CORROSION OF THE BOLTS TO OCCUR. THE PROCEDURES WERE CHANGED TO PRECLUDE RE-USE OF PILLOW BLOCK BOLTS DURING OVERHAUL.
THE IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE MAIN ROTOR BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF A PILLOW BLOCK BOLT, AND THE FAILURE OF THE OPERATOR/REPAIR STATION TO FOLLOW THE OVERHAUL PROCEDURES.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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