Bell 206B accident near Secaucus, New Jersey, July 10, 2001
On July 10, 2001 at about 10:30 am local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N3298G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Secaucus, New Jersey. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Under torque of a Thomas coupling self-locking nut for undetermined reasons, which resulted in the loss of the corresponding retaining bolt, and subsequent separation of tail rotor drive shaft segments. A factor was the unsuitable terrain beneath the pilot when the loss of tail rotor occurred.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2001 · about 10:30 am local time
- Place
- Secaucus, New Jersey · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3298G · no longer on the register · serial 1909
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just completed a spraying pass, and was heading westbound about 100 feet and 60 mph, parallel to power lines and 15-20 feet above trees. He suddenly felt something "break", and the helicopter started to yaw. The pilot realized that the helicopter had experienced a tail rotor failure, but he didn't want to autorotate into trees. He reduced the throttle slightly, maintained altitude, spun around two to three times, and cleared the trees. He headed for a gravel area and rolled off the throttle, but couldn't stop the spin. He attempted to cushion the landing, but the helicopter hit the ground hard. On-scene examination revealed that the Thomas coupling disc assembly on the aft end of the aft short shaft was twisted and bent, and the tail rotor drive shaft just aft of the coupling was bent and separated, about mid-length. A retaining bolt was missing from the Thomas coupling. The missing bolt and washers were found in the helicopter's tailrotor drive shaft tunnel area, and appeared to be undamaged. The self locking retaining nut for the bolt was not located. Metallurgical review revealed that the Thomas coupling at the aft end of the aft short shaft was missing one of the bolt and nut sets that attached the coupling to the splined adapter at the forward end of the first segment of the tail rotor drive shaft. The forward face of the flange adapter contained a series of rotational scoring and impact marks from contact with the bolt heads and discs. The pattern of damage was consistent with the short shaft rotating around the bolt opposite from the missing bolt. Additional examination of the Thomas coupling and associated components revealed that portions of the normal seating positions for the head of the missing bolt and the washer were relatively free of dirt and grease, and that the bore surface of the hole for the missing bolt in the flanged adapter at the forward end of the first segment contained thread imprint marks.
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; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 624 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 535 as pilot in command; 70 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 7, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,023 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 10, 2000; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Jersey City NJ at 10:05 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 am from TEB, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 N3298G 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.