Bell 206 N410RL

Summary

On 2 March 2009 at about 12:20 local time, a Bell 206 registered N410RL, operated by Rotorcraft Leasing Company, LLC, was involved in an accident near Galliano, Louisiana, 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

2 March 2009 at 12:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Galliano, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

South Lafourche Leonard Miller (GAO)

Coordinates

29.4378, -90.2567

Aircraft

Bell 206

Registration

N410RL

Category

Helicopter

Operator

Rotorcraft Leasing Company, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Galliano → Galliano

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09LA198

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the tail rotor driveshaft and coupling during engine start due to the mechanic's failure to properly reattach the tail rotor driveshaft and coupling during maintenance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was starting the single-engine helicopter's engine when he heard a loud bang and vibration. He immediately shut down the engine and exited the helicopter. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the tail rotor driveshaft and coupling had severed just forward of the gearbox, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail boom. The helicopter had undergone recent maintenance to the tail rotor gearbox input seal which included the removal of the tail rotor drive shaft from the coupling. When the two components were reattached, the mechanic only hand-tightened the bolts, figuring additional maintenance was still planned for the gearbox. He then installed the tail rotor drive shaft shaft cover. The mechanic moved on to another project and did not make a logbook entry of the work that he had completed or that the bolts were only hand-tightened. Another mechanic later performed additional maintenance to the gearbox, but the bolts were not checked since the maintenance manual did not require the removal of the tail rotor driveshaft cover. A .2-hour maintenance flight check was conducted and the helicopter was returned to service. The accident occurred on first engine start after it had been returned to service.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.