Accident Overview
A helicopter departed from the approach end of runway 19. According to witnesses, the aircraft accelerated to approximately 50 knots and climbed to an altitude between 50 and 100 feet above the runway. It then suddenly pitched down, rolled to the right, and crashed onto the runway.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the helicopter impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude of about 35 degrees and a right bank of 30 degrees. The impact and subsequent fire destroyed the helicopter. Many components of the flight control system were found fractured and/or damaged by fire. Notably, a fracture was observed at the lower end of the cyclic control (stick) assembly.
Metallurgical Findings
Metallurgical examination of the fracture in the cyclic control assembly showed evidence of fatigue. The helicopter had been certificated in December 1992 and had accumulated 174 hours of flight time since manufacture.
Conclusions
The investigation did not identify a probable cause for the accident in the available source material. The findings highlight the presence of a fatigue fracture in a critical flight control component.