Hughes 369E N5200W

Summary

On 11 April 1987 at about 14:35 local time, a Hughes 369E registered N5200W was involved in an accident near Palm Desert, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 April 1987 at 14:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Palm Desert, California, United States

Coordinates

33.7000, -116.3993

Aircraft

Hughes 369E

Registration

N5200W

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bermuda Dunes → Hemet

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX87FA173

1 person was seriously injured.

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 HELICOPTER DSCNDD UNCONTROLLED & CRASHED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. AFTER THE ACDNT, THE PLT SAID HE AGREED TO ORBIT THE RESIDENCE OF HIS PAX. AT THE APRX 135 DEG POINT OF A LEFT ORBIT, HE FELT 'A BANG & SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE TAIL.' THE PLT LOST DRCTNL CTL & THE HELICOPTER BEGAN SPINNING TO THE RIGHT. AN EXAM OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX (T/R GB) ASSY REVEALED 3 OF 4 T/R GB MOUNTING STUDS HAD FAILED FROM CYCLIC FATIGUE DUE TO BENDING WHICH HAD RESULTED FROM A LOSS OF CLAMP-UP TORQUE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LOWER RIGHT EAR OF THE T/R GB (AT THE LCTN OF THE 4TH STUD) FAILED FROM OVERLOAD & THE T/R GB SEPD. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT 3 WASHERS HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON EACH OF THE MOUNTING STUDS, BUT ONLY ONE WAS PERMITTED. THE WASHERS WERE INSTALLED DURING COMPLIANCE WITH AD 86-20-07, 78 FLT HRS BEFORE THE ACDNT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.