Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 accident near Navarre, Florida, June 8, 2006
On June 8, 2006 at about 5:32 pm local time, a Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 (helicopter), registered N4035G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Navarre, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate manufacturing of the plates of the tail rotor tension-torsion bar assembly resulting in fatigue failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2006 · about 5:32 pm local time
- Place
- Navarre, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 · all FH-1100s on the register
- Registration
- N4035G · no longer on the register · serial 502
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While flying in straight and level flight at 600 feet and approximately 100 miles-per-hour, undetected fatigue cracks in the stainless steel plates of one of the tail rotor blade tension-torsion bars resulted in in-flight separation of one tail rotor blade, and subsequent structural separation of a portion of the ventral fin. The pilot executed an autorotative landing to shallow water and there were no injuries to the pilot or pilot-rated passenger. Eight of the 11 stainless steel plates of the tension-torsion bar assembly exhibited fatigue which originated from stress risers created during the manufacturing process (punching) of the holes of the plates. Reaming of the holes did not eliminate the surface created during the punching process. This problem was previously noted to exist and corrective action was taken in the form of an airworthiness directive (AD), but the AD was not applicable to the accident helicopter because the serial number of the accident tension-torsion bars was outside of the scope of the AD.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,798 hours in all; 368 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 2,708 as pilot in command; 205 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 370 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2006; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C208 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 52FD Navarre FL at 5:25 pm
- Destination: Century FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PNS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N4035G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 MIA06LA126.