Bell 206B N144AL

Summary

On 22 November 1982 at about 16:30 local time, a Bell 206B registered N144AL, operated by Air Logistics, was involved in an accident near Buccaneer Oil F. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

22 November 1982 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Buccaneer Oil F

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N144AL

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Air Logistics

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Galveston BLK.2 → Galveston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW83FA043

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT WAS FOUND FLOATING INVERTED ABOUT 1.5 MI FROM THE POINT OF DEPARTURE. THE TAILBOOM HAD SEPARATED & THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE M/R BLADES HAD STRUCK THE TAILBOOM. THE WINDSHIELD & CHIN BUBBLE WAS BROKEN OUT. AN OIL PUMP GEAR TOOTH WAS FOUND ADHERING TO THE LOWER CHIP DETECTOR PLUG. THE OIL PUMP HAD 3 TEETH MISSING FROM A GEAR. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A SMOOTH ROUND OBJECT GOING THROUGH THE PUMP & JAMMING THE GEAR TEETH. THE BALL SEPARATOR GAGE FOR A BEARING (MRC P/N 6859435-G) HAD BROKEN APART ALLOWING BALLS TO FALL OUT. THE GEAR WHICH DRIVES THE FUEL CONTROL & OIL PUMP THEN MOVED SIDEWAYS FAR ENOUGH TO BECOME UNCOUPLED FROM ITS DRIVE GEAR. THE SEVEN TANGS ON ONE-HALF OF THE BALL SEPARATOR CAGE HAD SEPARATED. THE SEPARATED BEARING WAS NOT AN AUTHORIZED TYPE FOR USE IN THIS ENGINE. THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A COMMERCIAL ENGINE BULLETIN DATED 9/30/82 CALLING FOR ALL UNAUTHORIZED BEARINGS TO BE REMOVED FROM SPARE STOCK & SCRAPPED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.