CASCADE, ID, USA
N6676D
BOEING VERTOL 107
DURING A LOG SLINGING OPERATION A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD & THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO RAPIDLY DESCEND VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND WITH NUMEROUS SMALL FRAGMENTS FALLING IN THE SAME VICINITY. THE #5 SYNCHRONIZATION SHAFT WAS FOUND TO BE FRACTURED AT THE FORWARD END ABOUT 9 INCHES AFT OF THE CONNECTION ASSY TO THE #4 SHAFT. THIS RESULTED IN AN OUT OF SYNCHRONIZATION CONDITION BETWEEN THE FORWARD & AFT ROTOR BLADES AS WELL AS A LOSS OF POWER TO THE FORWARD ROTOR. A FATIGUE FRACTURE ORIGINATED IN THE AFT MOST RING OF RIVET HOLES. THE FATIGUE CRACKS PROPOGATED FROM MULTIPLE ORIGINS WITHIN THOSE RIVET HOLES WHERE A "STEP" WAS FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE HOLE & CLOSEST TO THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE SHAFT.ALL RIVET HOLES IN THE FORWARD END OF THE SHAFT HAD TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES SIMILAR TO THOSE PRODUCED IN A STEEL PLATE BY DELIBERATELY DRILLING HOLES WITHOUT COMPLETE PENETRATIONS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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