CAMERON, LA, USA
N2138Y
BELL 206L-1
N2138Y DEPARTED CAMERON, LA AFTER REFUELING EN ROUTE TO AN OFFSHORE RIG. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, WHILE OVER WATER, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO YAW AND VIBRATE SEVERELY. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS "KICKED" HARD WHEN ADDITIONAL POWER WAS APPLIED. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SPIRAL AND TUCK TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT DEPLOYED THE FLOATS AND CLOSED THE THROTTLE IN AN EFFORT TO CUSHION THE IMPACT. EXAMINATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE REVEALED THAT THE BLADE TIP COUNTERWEIGHT SEPARATED, CAUSING A SEVERE DYNAMIC IMBALANCE. THE COUNTERWEIGHT SEPARATION WAS DUE TO DEBONDING OF THE WEIGHT BLOCK AND THE BLADESKIN SOMETIME PRIOR TO THE SUBJECT FLIGHT. EXAMINATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX REVEALED EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE FRACTURES OF THE GEARBOX ATTACHMENT STUB.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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