Bell UH 1H N107CH
24 July 2018 · Oakdale, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 24 July 2018 at about 01:00 local time, a Bell UH 1H registered N107CH was involved in an accident near Oakdale, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. 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 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Oakdale, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.7983, -120.7222
- Aircraft
- Bell UH 1H
- Registration
- N107CH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1967
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Ferry
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Madera → Lincoln
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR18LA206
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of control during a precautionary landing following an abnormal noise in-flight, the source of which could not be determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During a cross-country flight, the helicopter started to produce an unusual noise. The pilot initiated a precautionary landing and the noise became louder. About 5 ft off the ground before touchdown, the helicopter entered an uncontrolled climb and yaw. The pilot was unable to recover from the loss of directional control and the helicopter subsequently impacted terrain. Examination of fractured pieces from the main rotor drive shaft and the swashplate assembly exhibited features consistent with fracture from overstress; however, it is likely that this damage was sustained during the impact. Although it is possible that one of the components may have failed from overstress in-flight, this would have required an abnormally high load input to one or more components. The exam did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter, and the source of the noise reported by the pilot could not be determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell UH-1H accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 2018 | Bell UH-1H | Vermaaklikheid, South Africa | Kishugu Aviation | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Jan 2018 | Bell UH 1H | Van Nuys, California, United States | Santa Barbara County Air Support Unit | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 2018 | Bell UH-1H | Raton, New Mexico, United States | Sapphire Aviation LLC | Fatal | 5 |
| 25 May 2018 | Bell UH 1H | Olympia, Washington, United States | Northwest Helicopters I Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jun 2019 | Bell UH 1H | Bethel, Alaska, United States | Yukon Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 2016 | Bell UH 1H | Mt. Adams, Washington, United States | King County Sheriffs Office | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 2018 | Hawley Richard A1B | Lincoln, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2018 | Cassutt IIIM | Rosamond, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 May 2018 | Cessna 182D | Crescent Mills, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2018 | Champion 7KCAB | Descanso, California, United States | Three Point Partners Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Jan 2018 | Robinson R44 | Newport Beach, California, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 12 Dec 2018 | Piper PA28 | Chino, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |