Enstrom 280C N5691B

Summary

On 15 July 2006 at about 13:15 local time, a Enstrom 280C registered N5691B was involved in an accident near Danville, West Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 2006 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Danville, West Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

None

Coordinates

38.0833, -80.8389

Aircraft

Enstrom 280C

Registration

N5691B

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Logan → Portsmouth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC06LA175

1 person had minor injuries.

A partial failure of the override clutch assembly. A contributing factor to the accident was the manufacturer's inadequate inspection procedures of the override clutch assembly following a tail rotor strike.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Approximately 7 minutes after takeoff, the pilot of the helicopter heard a "loud snap," and experienced a 5 to 10 degree right yaw. This occurred a second time, 5 to 8 seconds later. The pilot declared an emergency and elected to make a precautionary landing. During the approach, he experienced a third snap sound and yaw movement. The helicopter was at an airspeed below 20 knots, and about 8 to 10 feet above the ground, when the pilot heard a bang, and felt ground contact. The helicopter rolled to the left, and the main rotor blades contacted the ground. Examination of the helicopter confirmed drive train continuity to the main and tail rotor drive shafts. A ground scar, consistent with tail rotor ground contact, was observed about 60 feet from the main wreckage. The tail rotor gear box, drive shaft and blade assembly were located about 250 feet from the main wreckage. Examination of the tail rotor gearbox and adjacent components did not reveal any preexisting damage; however, it also did not reveal any indications of rotational damage. Examination of the override clutch assembly, which drove both the main transmission and the tail rotor system, revealed preexisting damage that occurred at an undeterminable time prior to the accident. The accident helicopter was involved in a previous hard landing accident about 13 months, and 87 hours of operation prior, during which, it had a tail rotor strike, and a fractured tail rotor drive shaft. The override clutch assembly was not removed for inspection after that accident; nor was it specifically required to be removed and inspected per the manufacturer's maintenance guidelines for "Special Inspection for Sudden Stoppage, Main and/or Tail Rotor Blade Strikes."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.