Bell 222U accident near Milford, Virginia, May 31, 1985
On May 31, 1985 at about 12:25 pm local time, a Bell 222U (helicopter), registered N3180K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Milford, Virginia. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 31, 1985 · about 12:25 pm local time
- Place
- Milford, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 222U · all 222Us on the register
- Registration
- N3180K · registry record · serial 47516
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELO WAS IN LEVEL CRUISE FLT AT 1500 FT AND 115 KTS WHEN THE NO. 2 ENG CHIP LIGHT ILLUMINATED, ACCOMPANIED BY LOWERING OIL PRESSURE. THE PLT REDUCED PWR AND STARTED A RT TURN TO RETURN TO BASE WHEN HALF WAY THRU THE TURN A LOUD BANG OCCURRED FOLLOWED BY COMPLETE POWER LOSS OF BOTH ENGINES AND ENG CMPT FIRE. A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION ENSUED, AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITH THE ACFT SYSTEM AFTER LNDG. LATER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE NO. 3 BEARING HAD FAILED. ULTIMATELY RELEASING THE PWR TURBINE ASSY FROM THE ENG. THE TURBINE DISC WELDED TO THE TAILPIPE CENTER BODY, FAILING THE DISC. FRAGMENTS STRUCK THE NO. 1 ENGINE WHICH RESULTED IN ITS UNCOMMANDED SHUT DOWN. BOTH ENGINES HAD A LENGTHY HISTORY OF CHIP ALARMS. LYCOMING HAD RECENTLY APPROVED A 100 HR. EXTENSION TO THE RECOMMENDED HOT SECTION INTERVAL AFTER A REVIEW OF MAINT. RECORDS. THREE SCAVENGE CHIP ALARMS OCCURRED DRG THE 50 HRS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,306 hours in all; 602 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 613 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 19, 1985; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,250 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS101-750C-1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aircraft Management Service
The flight
- Departed from: RIC Richmond VA at 12:10 pm
- Destination: Quantico VA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from RIC, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.