Kaman HH-43B/F N5197W

Summary

On 29 December 1993 at about 22:55 local time, a Kaman HH-43B/F registered N5197W was involved in an accident near Mobile, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 December 1993 at 22:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Mobile, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

31.0892, -88.0109

Aircraft

Kaman HH-43B/F

Registration

N5197W

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mt. Vernon → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL94LA035

Nobody was injured.

AN INADEQUATE MAJOR REPAIR BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHO FAILED TO INSTALL THE COTTER PIN WHICH SECURED THE RETAINING NUT OF THE RIGHT MAIN ROTOR HUB TEETER PIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED FOR EXTERNAL LIFT, LONG-LINE LOGGING OPERATIONS. AFTER LIFTING A LOAD OF LOGS, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED CONTROL PROBLEMS WITH THE HELICOPTER. THE LOAD, AND THEN THE LONG LINE, WERE JETTISONED, AND AN EMERGENCY DESCENT WAS BEGUN TO THE REMOTE, TEMPORARY LOG HELIPORT. AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE HELICOPTER'S DESCENT RATE, CONTROL WAS LOST. POWER WAS REDUCED, A LEVEL ATTITUDE REGAINED, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE FUSELAGE THEN LANDED HARD. THE WRECKAGE WAS EXAMINED, WHICH REVEALED THAT THE COTTER PIN FOR THE RIGHT ROTOR HEAD TEETER PIN RETAINING NUT WAS ABSENT. ABSENCE OF THE COTTER PIN WOULD ALLOW THE TEETER PIN RETENTION NUT TO LOSE TORQUE, AND EVENTUAL SEPARATION OF THE ROTOR HEAD FROM THE HELICOPTER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.