Bell/Garlick UH1B Iroquois helicopter, ZK-HSF, in-flight break-up, near Mokoreta, Southland, 23 April 2004
Status
Closed
Occurrence Date
Report Publication Date
Jurisdiction
NZ
Legacy Inquiry Number
04-003
On Friday 23 April 2004, Helicopter Services UH-1B helicopter ZK-HSF was on a ferry flight to Gore to facilitate maintenance work. En-route near Mokoreta a main rotor blade separated, the helicopter broke up and fell to the ground. The pilot, the sole occupant, was killed and the helicopter was destroyed.
The accident resulted from fatigue failure of a tension-torsion (TT) strap, a critical rotor hub component. The fatigue cracking had probably been initiated by an unreported rotor overspeed event.
Safety issues identified included:
· The need for pilots to understand the importance of reporting a rotor overspeed event
· The need for FAA and CAA airworthiness personnel and licensed maintenance engineers to recognise and respond to documented improper identification of critical finite-life components such as the TT straps
Safety recommendations to address these issues were made to the Director of Civil Aviation, and to the Administrator of the United States Federal Aviation Administration.
The accident resulted from fatigue failure of a tension-torsion (TT) strap, a critical rotor hub component. The fatigue cracking had probably been initiated by an unreported rotor overspeed event.
Safety issues identified included:
· The need for pilots to understand the importance of reporting a rotor overspeed event
· The need for FAA and CAA airworthiness personnel and licensed maintenance engineers to recognise and respond to documented improper identification of critical finite-life components such as the TT straps
Safety recommendations to address these issues were made to the Director of Civil Aviation, and to the Administrator of the United States Federal Aviation Administration.
Location
Mokoreta, Southland (-46.366624,168.983417) [may be approximate]