Rotorcraft Developement OH-58C N452MC
27 March 2012 · McComb, Mississippi, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 March 2012 at about 13:12 local time, a Rotorcraft Developement OH-58C registered N452MC, operated by Custom Air LLC, was involved in an accident near McComb, Mississippi, 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 13:12
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- McComb, Mississippi, United States
- Coordinates
- 31.1733, -90.5589
- Aircraft
- Rotorcraft Developement OH-58C
- Registration
- N452MC
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Custom Air LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- McComb → Woodville
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA12LA258
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to oil starvation at the Nos. 5 and 8 engine bearings, which resulted in a catastrophic engine failure.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that, about 3 minutes after takeoff, the helicopter yawed left. The pilot stated that he lowered the collective and initiated a descent for an autorotative landing and that the cabin then filled with smoke. He landed the helicopter uneventfully in a field and exited it. Subsequently, he noticed a fire in the engine compartment. Inspection of the engine revealed damage to the Nos. 5 and 8 bearings consistent with the reduced oil supply to the bearings during engine operation, which resulted in a catastrophic engine failure. Due to the severity of the damage to the bearing components, it could not be determined whether any preaccident malfunctions or failures existed in the bearing assembly that could have led to the reduction in the oil supply.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 2012 | Fly Hard Trike SKYCYCLE STING RAY | Gulfport, Mississippi, United States | Lindorfer John H | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2012 | Cessna 150G | Corinth, Mississippi, United States | Ronald Noland | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2012 | Cessna 172P | Lyman, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Mar 2012 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Hollandale, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 2012 | Henrie Raymond ZENITH CH 701 STOL | Ashland, Mississippi, United States | Henrie Raymond | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Mar 2012 | Cessna 310K | Olive Branch, Mississippi, United States | Jordan B. Straub | No injuries | - |