Baker Bobby J SAFARI N416JB

Summary

On 16 January 2015 at about 18:30 local time, a Baker Bobby J SAFARI registered N416JB was involved in an accident near The Woodlands, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 January 2015 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

The Woodlands, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.1997, -95.4764

Aircraft

Baker Bobby J SAFARI

Registration

N416JB

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2010

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Conroe → Conroe

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15LA104

1 person died.

An in-flight separation of the helicopter’s horizontal stabilizer due to undetected fatigue cracking of the stabilizer spar, which resulted in a loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was conducting a personal flight in the experimental, amateur-built helicopter. Several witnesses reported seeing the helicopter flying overhead. They reported that it appeared to by flying normally but that it then turned sideways, banked left, and descended to the ground. One witness reported hearing a breaking sound and then seeing the "back rotor" hanging from the helicopter. The horizontal stabilizer was found separated from the tailboom. Postaccident examination revealed that the horizontal stabilizer spar tube had fractured at the weld area just outboard of the mounting flange. Examinations of the fracture surfaces revealed features consistent with fatigue cracking that had initiated at multiple origins along the weld toe. Although no weld defects or corrosion were noted at the fatigue origins, large areas of both fracture faces were covered by red and brown corrosion products, indicating that the cracks were present and exposed for a considerable amount of time (at least many days but more likely many weeks). The fatigue origins were located on the aft surface of the spar and propagated generally forward. The origin location and direction of propagation were indicative of cyclic bending loads in the spar as if the tip of the stabilizer repetitively moved forward relative to the mount. The source of the cyclic bending loads was not clear but could have been the result of many different helicopter factors. These factors could have been unique to the accident helicopter or could be present on all similar helicopters. It is likely that the horizontal stabilizer separated in flight due to undetected fatigue cracking in the stabilizer spar, which resulted in the uncontrolled descent. As assembled, the fracture location and weld were partially hidden by the horizontal stabilizer's airfoil skin and not directly visible, which would have made any cracking difficult to see. Following the accident, the kit manufacturer issued a mandatory inspection and modification bulletin for the horizontal stabilizer, which detailed inspection criteria and spar replacement guidance if cracking was found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.