MD Helicopters MD 902 N902CS
21 July 2008 · Salinas, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 21 July 2008 at about 19:07 local time, a MD Helicopters MD 902 registered N902CS, operated by California Shock Trauma Air Rescue, was involved in an incident near Salinas, California, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:07
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Salinas, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Salinas Municipal Airport (SNS)
- Coordinates
- 36.6628, -121.6061
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopters MD 902
- Registration
- N902CS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- California Shock Trauma Air Rescue
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- San Jose → Salinas
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX08IA241
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control due to the fatigue failure of the threaded portion of the forward directional control cable as a result of the improper installation a lock washer.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During the approach to land, the pilot reported that he brought the helicopter to an 8- to 10-foot hover when the nose broke to the right and the helicopter started an uncommanded right spin. The pilot's attempt to correct with full left pedal failed to stop the spin. The pilot then initiated a hovering autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing and minor damage to the landing skids. The postaccident airframe inspection revealed that the threaded portion of the rear of the forward directional control cable of the no tail rotor (NOTAR) had separated. The forward directional control cable and the rotating cone control rod of the NOTAR, as well as associated hardware, were sent to an NTSB specialist for a detailed examination. The examination of the cable and associated hardware revealed that the cable had failed in fatigue due to the misplacement of the lock washer that was located between the cable's telescopic part and the rotating cone control rod.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Apr 2008 | Cessna 172S | San Luis Obispo, California, United States | Pacific Aerocademy | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 2008 | Cessna TU206G | Groveland, California, United States | Charles D Hartwell | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Jan 2008 | Piper PA 28-180 | Sonoma, California, United States | Timothy Bennett | No injuries | - |
| 6 May 2008 | Cessna 152 | Redding, California, United States | Kenneth A Tyler | No injuries | - |
| 17 Dec 2008 | Kaman K-1200 | Santa Clarita, California, United States | Superior Leasing LLC | Fatal | - |
| 26 Jul 2008 | Ercoupe 415-C | Corona, California, United States | Herbert Guiness | No injuries | - |