Bell 222UT accident near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, July 21, 1986
On July 21, 1986 at about 5:33 pm local time, a Bell 222UT (helicopter), registered N222DU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1986 · about 5:33 pm local time
- Place
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 222UT · all 222UTs on the register
- Registration
- N222DU · registry record · serial 47530
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG AN EMERG MED SVC (EMS)/MED EVAC FLT, AN UNCONTAINED PWR TURBINE BURST OF THE #1 ENG OCCURRED. DEBRIS FM THE #1 ENG DISABLED THE #2 ENG & SEVERED THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THE #2 ENG FIRE LGT ILLUMINATED & THE PLT DISCHARGED THE #2 ENG FIRE EXTINGUISHER. DRG AN AUTOROTATIVE LNDG, THE PLT INCREASED COLLECTIVE TO CLR TREES, AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ON ITS SIDE AT TOUCHDOWN. THE PLT, 1 NURSE & THE PATIENT WERE UNHARMED, BUT 2 NURSES RCVD MINOR INJURIES. AN EXAM SHOWEDTHE #2 & #3 BRGS IN THE #1 ENG HAD OVERHEATED & FAILED DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. OIL PASSAGES & JETS TO THE BRGS WERE FND CLOGGED WITH HVY CARBON DEPOSITS. THE ENG COMBUSTOR HOUSING WAS CHNGD APRX 13 FLT HRS BFR THE ACDNT DUE TO A CLOGGEDVENT STRUT; AFTER DRAINING OIL, THE OIL SYS WASN'T FLUSHED, BUT FLUSHING WASN'T REQD. EVIDENCE SHOWED LYC LTS 101-750C-1ENGS WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO CARBON CLOGGING; THAT THE #2 SEALS TENDED TO ERODE & ALLOW EXCESSIVE HOT GASES INTO THE #2 & #3BRGS. AFTER THE ACDNT, THE FAA ISSUED AD 86-22-05, REQUIRING INCREASED INSPN & MAINT PROCEDURES TO PREVENT RECURRENCE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,896 hours in all; 536 in this make and model; 149 in the last 90 days; 7,608 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,882 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 19, 1986; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,250 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS101-750C-1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pumpkin Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Lumberton NC at 5:52 pm
- Destination: Durham NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL86FA203.