Bell 214B-1 N214RM

Summary

On 20 June 1985 at about 00:15 local time, a Bell 214B-1 registered N214RM was involved in an accident near Squaw Valley, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 June 1985 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Squaw Valley, California, United States

Coordinates

36.6410, -119.2907

Aircraft

Bell 214B-1

Registration

N214RM

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Squaw Valley → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX85FA286

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE HELICOPTER WAS ENGAGED IN LOWERING A LARGE POLE TO THE GROUND WHEN THE ENG FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY DUE TO A TOTAL FIRST TURBINE ROTOR DISC FAILURE. THE PLT TURNED THE ACFT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN BUT WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ENOUGH SPEED TO AUTOROTATE. THE ACFT IMPACTED AT AN ANGLE AND BURNED. NO PARTS OF THE FIRST TURBINE ROTOR DISC WERE RECOVERED, THEREFORE, A FAILURE MODE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE DISC HAD ACCUMULATED 2776 CYCLES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. LYCOMING SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 5508-0002 REPORTS THE SERVICE LIFE LIMIT FOR THE DISC IS 2700 CYCLES. AN ENG TEARDOWN REVEALED NOTHING ELSE WRONG WITH THE ENG THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ITS FAILURE OTHER THAN THE FIRST TURBINE ROTOR DISC DISINTEGRATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.