Bell TH-1L N204AP
23 February 1994 · Etna, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 23 February 1994 at about 19:00 local time, a Bell TH-1L registered N204AP, operated by Hiser Helicopters Inc., was involved in an accident near Etna, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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 19:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Etna, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 41.4096, -123.0199
- Aircraft
- Bell TH-1L
- Registration
- N204AP
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Hiser Helicopters Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA132
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FAITUGE OF THE GEAR TOOTH WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE OF THE 42-DEGREE GEAR BOX.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE 42-DEGREE GEAR BOX FAILED SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING ON A HELICOPTER LOGGING OPERATION. THE PILOT JETTISONED THE LOAD, BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE HELICOPTER'S ROTATION AND IT CRASHED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE GEAR BOX REVEALED A FATIGUE BANDING PATTERN NEAR THE TOOTH ROOT OF THE INPUT GEAR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell TH-1L accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Nov 1997 | Bell TH-1L | Canby, Oregon, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1990 | Bell TH-1L | Galax, Virginia, United States | Ranger Helicopters Services | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Feb 1989 | Bell TH-1L | Greenville, Florida, United States | Green Mountain Helicopter, Inc | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1988 | Bell TH-1L | Walterboro, South Carolina, United States | S. Eastern Helicopter Logging | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-28R-201 | Fort Bragg, California, United States | Sundance Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 May 1994 | Schweizer G-164B | Yuba City, California, United States | Sutter Butte Dusters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 1994 | Cessna T210L | Kettleman City, California, United States | Willie Alves Rodrigues | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 1994 | Maule M-5-235C | Columbia, California, United States | White, James L. | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 1994 | Cessna 150L | Rio Linda, California, United States | Hinckley, Thomas, F. | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1994 | Robinson R-22 | Chico, California, United States | Sierra Aviation | No injuries | - |