Bell UH-1B N234SJ

Summary

On 16 October 2003 at about 20:24 local time, a Bell UH-1B registered N234SJ was involved in an accident near Durham, California, 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.

Date

16 October 2003 at 20:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Durham, California, United States

Coordinates

39.6467, -121.7997

Aircraft

Bell UH-1B

Registration

N234SJ

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Durham → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX04LA015

Nobody was injured.

Separation of the power turbine shaft retaining bolt resulting in extensive power turbine area damage and a loss of shaft output power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter landed hard and rolled over during an autorotation following a loss of engine power. The pilot was demonstrating crop dusting turns and maneuvers for school children. He had completed several simulated passes over a field. He returned to the middle of a field, and turned into a light wind in preparation for landing. The helicopter lost power and entered an unexpectedly rapid descent. He was unable to prevent a hard landing and rollover. The teardown and examination of the engine disclosed that the power turbine shaft retaining bolt had failed in overload, allowing the shaft to float in a fore and aft manner and eventually damaging the blades on the power turbine disk. The type and degree of damage to the turbine section shafting and related components was indicative of the separation of the bolt at some undetermined point in time prior to the accident flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.