Aerospatiale AS35OD N148BH

Summary

On 26 June 1985 at about 16:40 local time, a Aerospatiale AS35OD registered N148BH was involved in an accident near Dallas, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

26 June 1985 at 16:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Dallas, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.6692, -96.7596

Aircraft

Aerospatiale AS35OD

Registration

N148BH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dallas → Lancaster

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW85FA265

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 ENG TO TRANSMISSION SHORT SHAFT BECAME DISCONNECTED IN FLT. THIS RESULTED IN COMPLETE LOSS OF PWR TO THE MAIN ROTOR ASSEMBLY. HOWEVER, THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY WAS STILL BEING POWERED BY THE ENG. UPON COLLECTIVE PITCH APPLICATION TO STOP THE DESCENT THE ACFT YAWED ABOUT 90 DEGS TO THE RIGHT AND ALSO ROLLED ABOUT 70 DEGS TO THE RIGHT AND IMPACTED THE TRUNK OF A LARGE TREE. THIS IMPACT RESULTED IN DISINTEGRATION OF THE HELICOPTER. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT COTTER PINS HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED IN THE BOLTS WHICH CONNECT THE FORWARD END OF THE SHORT SHAFT TO THE FLEXIBLE COUPLING AT THE TRANSMISSION. IT ALSO REVEALED THAT A REQUIRED 30 HR RECURRING INSPECTION HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED AND WAS 15.9 HRS OVERDUE. THE COMPLETION OF THIS REQUIRED INSPECTION WOULD HAVE REVEALED THAT THE COTTER PINS WERE MISSING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.