Bell 222UT N222DU
21 July 1986 · Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 21 July 1986 at about 17:33 local time, a Bell 222UT registered N222DU, operated by Pumpkin Air, Inc., was involved in an accident near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. 5 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 17:33
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.9191, -79.0404
- Aircraft
- Bell 222UT
- Registration
- N222DU
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Pumpkin Air, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lumberton → Durham
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL86FA203
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Probable cause
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
DRG AN EMERG MED SVC (EMS)/MED EVAC FLT, AN UNCONTAINED PWR TURBINE BURST OF THE #1 ENG OCCURRED. DEBRIS FM THE #1 ENG DISABLED THE #2 ENG & SEVERED THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THE #2 ENG FIRE LGT ILLUMINATED & THE PLT DISCHARGED THE #2 ENG FIRE EXTINGUISHER. DRG AN AUTOROTATIVE LNDG, THE PLT INCREASED COLLECTIVE TO CLR TREES, AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ON ITS SIDE AT TOUCHDOWN. THE PLT, 1 NURSE & THE PATIENT WERE UNHARMED, BUT 2 NURSES RCVD MINOR INJURIES. AN EXAM SHOWEDTHE #2 & #3 BRGS IN THE #1 ENG HAD OVERHEATED & FAILED DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. OIL PASSAGES & JETS TO THE BRGS WERE FND CLOGGED WITH HVY CARBON DEPOSITS. THE ENG COMBUSTOR HOUSING WAS CHNGD APRX 13 FLT HRS BFR THE ACDNT DUE TO A CLOGGEDVENT STRUT; AFTER DRAINING OIL, THE OIL SYS WASN'T FLUSHED, BUT FLUSHING WASN'T REQD. EVIDENCE SHOWED LYC LTS 101-750C-1ENGS WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO CARBON CLOGGING; THAT THE #2 SEALS TENDED TO ERODE & ALLOW EXCESSIVE HOT GASES INTO THE #2 & #3BRGS. AFTER THE ACDNT, THE FAA ISSUED AD 86-22-05, REQUIRING INCREASED INSPN & MAINT PROCEDURES TO PREVENT RECURRENCE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 222 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Apr 1986 | Bell 222B | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Omniflight | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jan 1986 | Bell 222UT | La Habra, California, United States | Air Transport System, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1986 | Bell 222UT | Galax, Virginia, United States | Rocky Mountain Helicopters | Fatal | 3 |
| 20 Apr 1987 | Bell 222U | Oxford, Mississippi, United States | Memphis Medical Center | No injuries | - |
| 17 Oct 1985 | Bell 222A | Charenton, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Oct 1985 | Bell 222UT | East Cameron | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 1986 | Piper J3-65C | Goldsboro, North Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 26 Sep 1986 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51 | Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 1986 | Cessna 150 | Yadkinville, North Carolina, United States | Billy Darin Moxley | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 1986 | H Preiss HP-19C | Boone, North Carolina, United States | Michael Joseph Morrissey | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Nov 1986 | Beechcraft 35-B33 | Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 26 Oct 1986 | Boeing 737-222 | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | Piedmont Airlines | Serious injuries | - |