Bell 206B III G-BKBY at Leavesden in 1983 (Photo: Adrian Batchelor)
Adrian Batchelor has shared another sample of his great collection of 80's 'Brit-Rotary-Nostalgia' .. this time in the form of G-BKBY.
This was craft was imported by CSE in 1982 and sold to Real Time Control of Watford in August the following year just prior to the Business and Light Aviation Show at Cranfield.
At Cranfield ('83) I met her owner who at the time was being taught to fly by a slighty tall and grey-hairer gentlemen who's name escapes my memory - as does the name of the owner. But, her owner was most gracious and sent me (through CSE) an oversized photographic print of BKBY. It was a smashing shot of BKBY in the hover (at Kidlington I am sure) and looking resplendent in the brilliant sunshine.
From Real Time Control she moved on to ADT Aviation of Hindhead in Surrey where she was re-registered as G-OSUE.
As OSUE this craft was to meet her tragic demise on 14th August 1992 near Crowthorne in Berkshire.
An excerpt from the
accident report reads:
AAIB INVSTGN REVEALED THAT A NUT SEPARATED FROM ONE OF THE THOMAS COUPLING BOLTS ON THE AFT SHORT SHAFT OF THE TAIL ROTORDRIVE, ALLOWING THE ASSOCIATED BOLT TO DISENGAGE & INDUCING SEPARATION OF ASECOND NUT FROM THE SECOND BOLT ON THE SAME DRIVE COUPLING DUE TO OUT-OF-AXIS "WHIRLING" FORCES, WHICH ALSO CAUSED FAILURE OF THE AFT SHORT SHAFT.
THE PILOT ENDEAVOURED TO CARRY OUT AN EMERGENCY LANDING CLEAR OF THE BUILT-UP AREA OVER WHICH HE WAS FLYING WHEN TAIL ROTORDRIVE FAILURE OCCURRED, BUT LOST CONTROL DURING THE FINAL STAGES OF DESCENT & CRASHED. THE PILOT & ONE OF THE FOUR OCCUPANTS DIED IN THE ACCIDENT & THE THREE SURVIVORS WERE SERIOSLY INJURED. REASON FOR THE FIRST NUT SEPARATIONWAS NOT ESTABLISHED.
AAIB BULLETIN 02/93 & ADDENDUM REF:W/C92/8/2. SEE ALSO 93/00309. CAA CLOSURE: JOINT CAA/MOD COMMITTEE ESTABLISHEDTO RESEARCH & IMPROVE LEVEL OF ADVICE GIVEN IN FLIGHT MANUALS ON ACTION INEVENT OF TAIL ROTOR MALFUNCTIONS. LTO 1361 ISSUED RECOMMENDING REPLACEMENT OFCOUPLING NUTS & BOLTS BEFORE 1200HRS TSN, CHECK VISUALLY EVERY 10HRS ANDINSPECT TORQUE PAINT EVERY 100HRS.