SPRINGTOWN, PA, USA
N114FH
Bell 206L-1
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, GROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER MAKE TWO VIOLENT ROLL MANEUVERS FOLLOWED BY AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS SPREAD OVER AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 10 ACRES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE COLLECTIVE IDLER LINK AND RETAINING PIN ASSEMBLY WERE MISSING AND THE LOWER ATTACHING STUD OF THE IDLER LINK SHOWED EVIDENCE OF FAILURE. THE STUD WAS BENT IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION AND SHEARED NUT THREADS AND COTTER PIN REMAINS WERE FOUND IN THE STUD THREADS AND COTTER PIN HOLE, RESPECTIVELY. THE H-SHAPED IDLER LEVER THAT CONNECTS THE UPPER END OF THE IDLER LINK TO THE SWASHPLATE DRIVE COLLAR WAS FOUND ATTACHED TO THE COLLAR AND SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF DISTRESS. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHY THE RETAINING PIN CONNECTING THE COLLECTIVE IDLER LINK TO THE IDLER LEVER SEPARATED.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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