APPROX 10-15 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF THE STUDENT PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND CRASH LANDED INTO TREES. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE ONLY UNUSUAL THING FAA PERSONNEL COULD LOCATE WAS A FAILED HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SPAR. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE STABILIZER REVEALED THAT IT WAS A HUGHES PART EXTENSIVELY MODIFIED FOLLOWING MANUFACTURE BY PERSONS UNKNOWN. SEVERAL SKIN CRACKS ON THE STABILIZER HAD BEEN UNSUCCESSFULLY STOP DRILLED IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP CRACK PROGRESSION. IN ADDITION, ALL SKIN TO SPAR RIVETS WERE NONSTANDARD.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
Contributing Factors
STABILIZER..FAILURE,TOTALMAINTENANCE,MODIFICATION..INTENTIONAL..OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNELMAINTENANCE,MODIFICATION..IMPROPER..OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL
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