Bell 206B N16814
7 June 1998 · Corpus Christi, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 7 June 1998 at about 22:44 local time, a Bell 206B registered N16814 was involved in an accident near Corpus Christi, Texas, United States. 4 people were 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.
The record
- Date
- at 22:44
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 27.7993, -97.3893
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B
- Registration
- N16814
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW98LA260
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
The failure of the tail rotor drive shaft due to the separation of a bolt at one of the drive shaft disc couplings for an undetermined reason, which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain directional control during landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter experienced a tail rotor drive shaft failure while on final approach to landing. Approximately 45 to 50 feet AGL, the pilot heard a 'loud snapping sound,' which was followed by a 'loss of tail rotor control.' An autorotation was initiated, and subsequently, the helicopter landed 'hard' on the grassy staging field and came to a stop upright. Examination of the helicopter revealed that two of the tail rotor drive shaft segments were fractured. Additionally, one of the two bolts connecting the aft end of one of the fractured segments to a disc coupling (Thomas Coupling) was missing. The missing bolt was not recovered, although a nut and two beveled washers were found on top of the tail boom beneath the driveshaft. An examination of the remaining bolt revealed that it exhibited fretting, wear and deformation to only the last two and one-half threads. Review of the maintenance records revealed no entries indicating that any of the tail rotor drive shaft segments were removed in the two years preceding the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jul 1998 | Bell 206L-3 | Reklaw, Texas, United States | U.s. Forest Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 1998 | Bell 206B | Salinas, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 1998 | Bell 206B | Vernal, Utah, United States | Enterprise Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 25 May 1998 | Bell 206L-3 | Indian Trail, North Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 5 |
| 15 Aug 1998 | Bell 206B II | Chickaloon, Alaska, United States | Alaska State Troopers | No injuries | - |
| 12 Sep 1998 | Bell 206B-3 | Hinkley, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jan 1998 | Beechcraft V35 | Seguin, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jan 1998 | Poling KELEHER LARK KR1B | Georgetown, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Jan 1998 | Cessna 140A | Justin, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Aug 1998 | Jodel F11-3 | Beeville, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Aug 1998 | Piper PA-28-235 | Mineola, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jan 1998 | Cessna 500 | Horseshoe Bay, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |