What happened
The pilot lifted the helicopter off the helipad and initiated a turn to the right. As the aircraft climbed to approximately thirty feet, it began to nose slowly downward before rolling to the right. The helicopter then descended in an uncontrolled manner, impacting the terrain and striking several cars in an adjacent parking lot. During the impact, the pilot was thrown from the cockpit because his seatbelt failed. It was noted that he was not wearing a shoulder harness at the time of the accident.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed a critical maintenance error. Company maintenance personnel had previously removed the dual controls from the helicopter but failed to reinstall the cyclic interconnect tube. This missing component prevented proper control linkage between the pilot and co-pilot stations, rendering the aircraft unmanageable during flight.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to this accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to install the cyclic interconnect tube. This omission occurred after the dual controls were removed, creating a direct mechanical deficiency that led to the loss of control. The pilot's inability to maintain attitude and heading resulted in the fatal crash.
Safety message
This incident highlights the critical importance of verifying all maintenance actions are completed correctly. Ensuring that all components, such as interconnect tubes, are properly installed after any modification or removal is essential for flight safety.