NTSB Cites Lax Maintenance in UH-1B Fatal Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Final Report was issued today on the fatal West Virginia crash of a Vietnam War-era Bell UH-1B helicopter on June 22, 2022. According to the report, the accident was caused, in part, by inadequate inspection procedures by the operator, Marpat Aviation, and a lack of FAA oversight. All six occupants died when the UH-1B “Huey” hit power lines during an attempted forced landing following a loss of engine power.

The accident flight was the last scheduled passenger trip of the second day of the annual “Huey Reunion” at Logan County Airport (6L4). The helicopter was licensed in 2014 under the “Experimental Exhibition” category and members of the public could go for rides during the event for payment. The NTSB report said the FAA provided “basically no oversight” of Marpat’s maintenance operations. The board found that Marpat likely would have discovered the fatigue cracks in the engine component that caused the power loss if it had conducted more comprehensive inspections. The board also wrote that the FAA “lacked guidance” for inspectors to provide routine surveillance of aircraft operators with experimental airworthiness certificates, such as the one held for the UH-1B involved in the accident.

The NTSB noted that the FAA had revised its maintenance standards for ex-military aircraft with experimental airworthiness certificates in 2015, but the aircraft in question was not required to meet the newer standards based on the date of its certification.