Texas OH-13E N38115
20 September 1995 · Yakima, Washington, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 September 1995 at about 19:30 local time, a Texas OH-13E registered N38115 was involved in an accident near Yakima, Washington, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. 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 19:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Yakima, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 46.7201, -120.4110
- Aircraft
- Texas OH-13E
- Registration
- N38115
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA95LA227
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE BOLT ATTACHING THE SCISSOR ARM ASSEMBLY TO THE PITCH CONTROL SUPPORT ASSEMBLY. THE FAILURE OF THE BOLT LED TO A LOSS OF COLLECTIVE PITCH CONTROL AND REDUCED ROTOR RPM.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
IMMEDIATELY AFTER LIFTING OFF AND REACHING TRANSLATIONAL LIFT, THE PILOT LOST COLLECTIVE PITCH CONTROL AND ROTOR RPM BEGAN TO DECREASE. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AND IMPACTED WITH A POND. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT AN ATTACHMENT BOLT IN THE SCISSOR ARM ASSEMBLY OF THE PITCH CONTROL SUPPORT ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED. EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURE SURFACE REVEALED THAT THE BOLT HAD FAILED IN FATIGUE, WITH MULTIPLE CRACKING ORIGINS EMANATING FROM THE THREADS OF THE BOLT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Texas OH-13E accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct 1996 | Texas OH-13E | Santa Rita, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Dec 1993 | Texas OH-13E/M74L | Los Banos, California, United States | Gach, Bernard | No injuries | - |
| 6 Sep 1992 | Texas OH-13E/M74 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Flight Services Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 1989 | Texas OH-13E/M74 | Hilmar, California, United States | Streeter Flying Service, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 1989 | Texas OH-13E/M74 | Greenwood, Mississippi, United States | Valley Air, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jul 2003 | Texas OH-13E-M74 | Tulare, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jul 1995 | Hughes 369HS | Orting, Washington, United States | Helicopter Specialty | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 1995 | Cessna 182R | Copalis Beach, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 1995 | Aero Commander S2R | Odessa, Washington, United States | Smith Air, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 1995 | Champion 7GCBC | Moses Lake, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 1995 | Wheeler KITFOX V | Silvana, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Jul 1995 | Piper PA-28-160 | Kent, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |