EAST TEXAS HELICOPTERS LLC
Also recorded as: EAST TEXAS HELICOPTERS LLC
Accident & enforcement record
Events that happened, regardless of the operator's own reporting. Each links to its public source.
NTSB accidents & incidents
No NTSB accidents or incidents linked to this operator.
FAA enforcement actions
No FAA enforcement actions linked to this operator.
Maintenance disclosure history
Service Difficulty Reports are self-reported maintenance findings. The NUMBER of reports is not a measure of reliability — diligent operators file more, not fewer. These are shown for transparency, not as a negative signal. To verify a report, search its control number at the FAA SDRS site.
Reports span 2020–2020. Most-reported systems: Main rotor drive (63) — 1. Most-common natures of condition, as filed: PARTIAL RPM/PWR LOSS — 1.
1 report on file.
Part: SPRAG CLUTCH — ABNORMAL (DRIVE TRAIN) · airframe 1,146 hrs
OWNER COMPLAINED OF POWER LOSS DURING LEVEL OFF AND FLARE AFTER DESCENT. HE INSISTED THERE WAS NO "NEEDLE SPLIT". IN SPITE OF THAT, I SUSPECTED AN ISSUE WITH THE OVERRUNNING (SPRAG) CLUTCH. I FLIGHT TESTED AND ALL APPEARED NORMAL. AFTER CHECKING EVERYTHING THAT COULD CAUSE AN INTERMITTENT, TEMPORARY POWER LOSS INCLUDING ENGINE AND GOVERNOR SYSTEMS AND ELIMINATING ENGINE AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE, I FLIGHT TESTED THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN CONCENTRATING ON POWER RECOVERY FROM AUTOROTATIVE DESCENT. ON THE THIRD AUTOROTATION DESCENT WITH NEEDLES WELL SPLIT I INITIATED A GENTLE POWER RECOVERY. THE OVERRUNNING CLUTCH FAILED TO LOCK BACK UP WHEN NEEDLES WERE JOINED. I ROLLED THROTTLE BACK OFF AND REJOINED THE NEEDLES VERY CAREFULLY, ROCKING THE THROTTLE AS THE NEEDLES REJOINED. THE CLUTCH LOCKED BACK UP AND I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE A NORMAL LANDING BEING EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW ANOTHER NEEDLE SPLIT. I HAD PREVIOUSLY (DURING INITIAL TROUBLESHOOTING) DRAINED AND INSPECTED THE SPRAG CLUTCH FLUID. IT SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF METAL PARTICLES. WE THEN INSTALLED A OVERHAULED CLUTCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A NEW SPRAG CLUTCH. PROBLEM SOLVED. ROBINSON HELICOPTERS IS INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE.
Linked aircraft
| N-number | Make / model | Year | Status | Link basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N441CD | ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II | 2009 | Valid Registration | Matched by certificate designator |