Bell 206 N523RL

Summary

On 12 July 2010 at about 19:28 local time, a Bell 206 registered N523RL, operated by Rotorcraft Leasing Company LLC, was involved in an incident near Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 July 2010 at 19:28

Classification

Incident

Location

Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

31.1695, -91.8669

Aircraft

Bell 206

Registration

N523RL

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Rotorcraft Leasing Company LLC

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gulf of Mexico → Gulf of Mexico

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10IA397

Nobody was injured.

Improper reassembly of the collective flight controls by maintenance personnel. Contributing to the incident were inadequate postmaintenance examinations by maintenance personnel and inadequate preflight inspections by two pilots.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, the helicopter was on final approach to a platform in the Gulf of Mexico when he raised the collective to perform a go-around. However, the helicopter did not respond properly; rather, its performance and torque indications remained fixed at 45 percent. The pilot began a slow climb and diverted to a land-based airport at a cruise speed of about 60 knots. Because of a complete loss of collective pitch control, the pilot made a running landing on the runway at the airport, touching down about 45 knots. The helicopter came to a stop in the grass about 100 feet past the end of the runway. An examination of the helicopter revealed that several fasteners were missing from the top clevis of the collective control tube, which led to the control tube becoming disconnected from the collective pitch arm on the swash plate. The missing fasteners were found loose on the deck in the transmission compartment. Records showed that maintenance to reinstall the transmission and main rotor hub had been completed about 6 flight hours before the incident and that several mechanics and two pilots had examined the helicopter before the incident flight without noting the improperly secured/missing fasteners.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.