Garlick HH-1K accident near Live Oak, CA
On June 29, 2000, a Garlick HH-1K (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Live Oak, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 29, 2000
- Place
- Live Oak, CA
- Aircraft
- Garlick HH-1K · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 39.230°N, 121.780°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21281
NTSB summary
On June 29, 2000, at 0935 hours Pacific daylight time, a Garlick HH-1K helicopter, N896RP, was destroyed by impact with the ground following the separation of the tail boom and an uncontrolled descent at Live Oak, California. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. The agricultural application flight was operated by Rick Patterson, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 137, and departed from Yuba City about 0900. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Sacramento Flight Standards District Office reported that the helicopter was being operated in restricted category, and the pilot radioed his ground crew words to the effect that he was experiencing a structural failure. Witnesses near the accident location heard the helicopter make a loud noise, and, when they looked up, it was falling straight down from about 100 feet agl. The tail boom and tail rotor assembly were found together about 300 feet southwest of the fuselage wreckage. The wreckage was examined by an FAA inspector with technical assistance provided by Bell Helicopters. There were no wire or other external object impact marks observed on the wreckage. The main rotor blades remained attached to the main rotor hub. The white blade was intact, and the red blade was broken about 3-feet outboard of the root doubler but remained attached. The hub and mast remained attached to the transmission, which was with the forward fuselage wreckage. Fracture surfaces in the blade pitch control linkages exhibited a shiny, uniform appearanc
Probable cause
The inadequate lubrication of the tail rotor drive shaft coupling by unknown maintenance personnel that resulted in the in-flight failure and separation of the helicopter's tail boom.
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Browse: California
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
