Maintenance failure, pilot error led to fatal UH-1 crash

A Marine UH-1Y Huey helicopter that crashed in California was caused by a combination of a maintenance failure, and pilot error a board found. The Huey was flying from Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California. The aircraft crashed 400 yards from where the crew planned to land.

The report states that 34 minutes into the 49 minute flight, the oil pressure gauge fluctuated, then dropped to 0. A week prior the aircraft had undergone maintenance for a bad reading, which included replacing the oil pressure sensors. The board believes that the crew thought it was a sensor problem, as they chose to continue the flight, even though loss of oil pressure would render the aircraft unflyable within 15 minutes, and they had just over 15 minutes to go to get to their destination. They flew past at least two airports that they could have landed at, and radioed ahead to have avionics troubleshooters available to go over the aircraft.

Three days prior a new seal cover was installed, that was installed improperly and either came off or leaked during the flight. Some time prior to the mishap, and unapproved epoxy was used on the filter body, preventing them from removing the body to change the filter, although it appears that the filter didn't play a role. However, because of the tight area the box is in, both the marines working on the aircraft, and QA supervisors missed that the retaining ring didn't seal properly.

Marines from a UAV squadron were working in a hangar nearby, and rushed to the scene, pulling both pilots out of the aircraft, and providing first aid, but neither pilot survived. The height that the aircraft fell from was too much for the seats to absorb, and both pilots died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries.

Two Marine pilots killed in a January helicopter crash in California were just a few hundred yards from their destination when the transmission of their aircraft seized, stopping its main rotor and causing it to plummet, according to a lengthy investigation into the crash.

Improper aircraft maintenance and pilot misjudgment contributed to the fatal Jan. 23 UH-1Y Venom helicopter crash near Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, investigators wrote in the accident report. The report was obtained by Marine Corps Times through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The pilot, Maj. Elizabeth Kealey, and co-pilot, Capt. Adam Satterfield, were killed in the crash. Both were assigned to Marine Light Attack Squadron 169, and were concluding a short flight from Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, their home base, to participate in an exercise with the rest of their squadron. Kealey was a captain at the time and Satterfield a first lieutenant — the pair was posthumously promoted during a February ceremony.

At the heart of the tragedy was an improperly installed filter cover, which allowed the transmission to dump all its oil during flight. Ultimately, investigators found that the aircraft plummeted 200 feet, just 400 yards away from the Marines' intended landing point.

www.marinecorpstimes.com...

Thats just bad news all round....

a reply to: Blackfinger

When it's a major system, if there's even a chance that it's a failure, get your ass on the ground asap. If it's a faulty sensor, you can continue the flight. If it's not, and you continue, this happens.

urge to get to destination.........they loved what they did for a living.....sums it up, huh?

Especially flying over two airports to crash just short of the third..Thats just bad judgement that unfortunately cost them their lives.Using wrong epoxy to glue a filter box on!!Easy put a screwdriver through it and rip it off..It will destroy the part but it will get it off so you "CAN" access the seals.Parts can be replaced.

Bad call for those pilots, this didn't need to end this way.

Reminds me of some of the trainer aircraft at my local airport with all their little glitches and nuisances (switches not working 100% of the time, interior lighting iffy, COMs inoperable, avionics not properly maintained, gauges not functioning properly and showing parameters outside of the normal operating windows, seats not adjusting and sitting on cushions, etc. etc.) and the instructors just shrugging it off.

Older bird maybe?

Sadlly this is a classic case of ASS-uming that the pilot knew more that his (or her) instruments were telling them.

I mean, the oil pressure light comes on, but 'hey, I'll ignore that because it has been faulty in the past' Clearly the problem had been fixed with the sensor if I am reading the story right and the engine failed because there was no oil circulating.

When the only way is a fast drop to the ground if your aircraft craps out, it seems like a no brainer that you land as soon as you can when a warning light comes on.

a reply to: charolais

We had a jet that had a faulty fire warning light on takeoff that they elected to continue with, but that was only after returning and getting it checked and not finding a problem.

Some problems, like a backup radio, or something you can fly with. The B-1 is a prime example. Every one of them has some kind of problem, but it's all minor stuff.

a reply to: Zaphod58

UH-1Y ?

This thread? Same fate or no?
www.abovetopsecret.com...

You were very helpful on that tread.

Sounds like they caught Get Home-itis. You've got Palm Springs International, Banning, Bermuda Dunes, Hemet-Ryan.. lots of places with services to set down depending on which side of San Jacinto you're travelling. Ugh

a reply to: Bigburgh

Same model, different accident. This one was 200 feet above the ground when the engine seized and they fell. When they hit the ground it flipped on its side.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Terrible. RIP.

Thought there might have been a link between the 2 accidents.

Regarding the Huey crash in Nepal, my office cube mate at Naval Weapons Center (east side of CP) is a retired Huey pilot was stationed at CP finally dicussed the potential causes with me.

He said the crew was medium experienced and the airflow up and down mountain slopes is very tricky to navigate. They most likely flew into the mountain with lite no warning. It was cloudy too.

yeah, flying in the air is a lot different than driving on the ground. if the oil pump in your car gives out the worst that will happen is that the engine locks up and your left walking.in the air if that happens you fall out of the sky and die.best to error on the side of caution when flying.