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ATL88LA232

1988-08-20 · PADUCAH, Kentucky, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport KY29

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

AFTER DEPARTURE THE ENG QUIT & PIC MADE AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING IN A WOODED AREA. INITIAL EXAM OF ENG REVEALED WATER IN THE CARB FLOAT BOWL. INVESTIGATION SHOWED HELO HAD 100 HR INSPECTION RECORDED IN THE LOG, BUT MAY HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE BY MECHANIC WITHOUT INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION AS AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. HELO RECORDS WERE OBTAINED BY ONE OF THE MECHANICS FROM THE SAME REPAIR STATION, BUT NOT GIVEN TO FAA INSPECTOR & LATER LOST. LATER EXAM OF THE ENG SHOWED HOLES IN ACCESSORY CASE. PARTIAL TEARDOWN SHOWED THAT THE LEFT MAG DRIVE COUPLING NUT COTTER KEY WAS MISSING. IT IS BELIEVED THE COTTER KEY WAS NOT INSTALLED OR WAS DAMAGED DURING INSTALLATION & BACKED OUT OF THE NUT ALLOWING THE NUT TO BACK OFF & THE DRIVE COUPLING TO DISCONNECT. THE PLT DID NOT FILE AN ACC REPORT. THE PLTS LOG BOOKS HAVE NOT BEEN LOCATED. THE ACFT ROLLED OVER AFTER LNDG. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1988_ATL88LA232.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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