Accident · 2011-12-07
What the record says
- Event date
- 2011-12-07
- Event type
- Accident
- Highest injury level
- Fatal injury
- Aircraft
- EUROCOPTER FRANCE AS350B2 (N37SH)
- Operating rule
- Part 135
- Operator
- Sundance Helicopters, Inc. Operator named in NTSB report
- Operated by (per NTSB report)
- SUNDANCE HELICOPTERS INC
Probable cause
Sundance Helicopters’ inadequate maintenance of the helicopter, including (1) the improper reuse of a degraded self-locking nut, (2) the improper or lack of installation of a split pin, and (3) inadequate postmaintenance inspections, which resulted in the in-flight separation of the servo control input rod from the fore/aft servo and rendered the helicopter uncontrollable. Contributing to the improper or lack of installation of the split pin was the mechanic’s fatigue and the lack of clearly delineated maintenance task steps to follow. Contributing to the inadequate postmaintenance inspection was the inspector’s fatigue and the lack of clearly delineated inspection steps to follow.
Source: NTSB case DCA12MA020Flight crew
No flight-crew details recorded in the NTSB accident database for this event.
Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.