Bell 206L-1 N114FH

Summary

On 17 June 1988 at about 22:45 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N114FH, operated by Fleet Helicopter Services, was involved in an accident near Springtown, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

17 June 1988 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Springtown, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.5303, -75.2093

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N114FH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Fleet Helicopter Services

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manville → Coopersburg

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC88FA166

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

WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, GROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER MAKE TWO VIOLENT ROLL MANEUVERS FOLLOWED BY AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS SPREAD OVER AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 10 ACRES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE COLLECTIVE IDLER LINK AND RETAINING PIN ASSEMBLY WERE MISSING AND THE LOWER ATTACHING STUD OF THE IDLER LINK SHOWED EVIDENCE OF FAILURE. THE STUD WAS BENT IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION AND SHEARED NUT THREADS AND COTTER PIN REMAINS WERE FOUND IN THE STUD THREADS AND COTTER PIN HOLE, RESPECTIVELY. THE H-SHAPED IDLER LEVER THAT CONNECTS THE UPPER END OF THE IDLER LINK TO THE SWASHPLATE DRIVE COLLAR WAS FOUND ATTACHED TO THE COLLAR AND SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF DISTRESS. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHY THE RETAINING PIN CONNECTING THE COLLECTIVE IDLER LINK TO THE IDLER LEVER SEPARATED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.