Bell 222 accident near Spencer, Iowa, August 21, 1998
On August 21, 1998 at about 2:14 am local time, a Bell 222 (helicopter), registered N30SV, was destroyed in an accident near Spencer, Iowa. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The below standard (loose) fit of the 'white' swashplate outer ring pin resulting in fatigue and subsequent separation of the pin, and ultimately the in-flight breakup of the rotorcraft. A factor was the manufacturer's dissemination of the pin which did not meet dimensional standards.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 1998 · about 2:14 am local time
- Place
- Spencer, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 222 · all 222s on the register
- Registration
- N30SV · no longer on the register · serial 47044
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter experienced an in-flight break-up when it was traveling at about 130 knots at 960 feet above the ground. The wreckage path was on a 090 heading between 0.8 to 1.2 miles west of the Spencer, Iowa, airport. Examination of the swashplate outer ring pins revealed a bending fatigue fracture occurred in the 'white' pin. The fatigue cracking originated in the undercut fillet radius adjacent to the head of the pin. The 'white' and 'red' bores and the 'red' pin (The white pin was not located) were checked for proper dimensions. The examination indicated an insufficient interference fit between the outer swashplate bores and the outer diameter of the swashplate ring pins.
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: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,918 hours in all; 597 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,251 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 17, 1998; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,850 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 250-C30G (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 1SD9 Sioux Falls SD at 1:39 am
- Destination: 1IA3 IA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 080° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from SPW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N30SV the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.