apache crashes with this script

hello all,
This one is stumping me for quite sometime and who ever will help me solve this will get another 200 points i have with a different user along with 1000 thanks.

I have a big script that it's puprose is to scan a directory and process files and subdirs within this directory.
The processing includes storing in mysql db as well.
I'm using php 4.3.3 with apache 1.3.28 on win2k which I've installed seperatly and manualy. The files i'm processing can vary to be in xml or html format.
Whenever i process the html files apache crashes and gives this error:

"apache.exe has generated some errors and will be closed by windows.
you may need to restart this program. a log file is being created."

I can't see nothing in the apache error log file.
If i take this function out it never ever crashes!

this thing is getting even more strange: it is not crashing all of the times and when it does it is completly random (as i can process many html files in a single run of this script). but always in this script and in the specific html processing function.
it is important to mention that I have a test system which I've installed the php triad package with php 4.06 and apache 1.3.14 on winNT and ther it never ever crashes!!
Another starnge thing is: if i take the sql queries that store the data from the html file to mysql it won't crash as well.

here is the function and it's related function as well:
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
function storePatch($patchNo)
{
  //this function will store only a new patch in patches table
  $sql="SELECT id FROM patches WHERE patchId='$patchNo'";
  $result=mysql_query($sql)or die('Query failed: ' . mysql_error());
  if((mysql_num_rows($result) == 0))
     mysql_query("INSERT INTO patches (patchId) VALUES('$patchNo')") or die('Query failed: ' . mysql_error());
  mysql_free_result($result);       
}
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
function savePatchData($hpath,$isserver,$site,$audit,$mdate)
{
  /*this function get a path to an html data file. process patch data*/
  $fileAndServer=getFileAndServerLbl($hPath);
  if(!$isServer)
       $server=$fileAndServer["server"]; //file andAndServer gets the server name out of file name
  else
       $server=$isServer;       
   //$filename=$fileAndServer["file"];
 $table=$site."t";
 $saved=false;
 $fileArr=file($hpath);
 $filename=basename($hpath);
 $pattern = '/^([A-Za-z]{2}\-{1}\d{2})/';
 $newArr = array();
 /*get rid of blank lines in file ( all whitespaces lines)*/
  foreach ($fileArr as $line)
  {
   $line=strip_tags($line);
   if(preg_match("/\S/", $line))
    {
        $line=trim($line);
          array_push($newArr, $line);
    }
  }
  /*get rid of html tags*/
  $allArr=explode('|&|',strip_tags(implode('|&|',$newArr)));
  $patchLocN =getPatchLoc($allArr);//will hold position of patches info start
  $patchLocO =getPatchLoc($allArr,1);//will hold position of patches info start
  //handle new patche 4*
  if(!empty($patchLocN))
  {
     for($getNpatch=$patchLocN+1; preg_match("/^\d/",$allArr[$getNpatch]); $getNpatch++)
     {
           $tempPatchArr=explode(' ',$allArr[$getNpatch]);
         $patchNo=trim($tempPatchArr[0]);
         $patchDate=$tempPatchArr[1];
         for($j=3;$j<count($tempPatchArr);$j++)
           $patchDesc.=' '. $tempPatchArr[$j];
         // enter data to database
         $sqlNpatch="INSERT INTO $table (auditId,mdate,server,patchId,patchDate,patchDesc) VALUES ('$audit','$mdate','$server','$patchNo','$patchDate','$patchDesc')";
           mysql_query($sqlNpatch)or die('Query failed fgfd: ' . mysql_error());
         $saved=true;
         unset($patchDesc);
         //no check if patchNo exists on patches table. if no - store it in patches table
         storePatch($patchNo);
     }
  }//if       
  //handle old patche B*
  if(!empty($patchLocO))
  {
     for($getOpatch=$patchLocO+1;preg_match("/^B/",$allArr[$getOpatch]); $getOpatch++)
       {
         $tempPatchArr=explode(',',$allArr[$getOpatch]);
        //enter data to database here
         for($i=0;$i<count($tempPatchArr);$i++)
         {
            if(!empty($tempPatchArr[$i]))
              {
                 $patchNo=trim($tempPatchArr[$i]);
                   $sqlOpatch="INSERT INTO $table (auditId,mdate,server,patchId) VALUES ('$audit','$mdate','$server','$patchNo')";
                     mysql_query($sqlOpatch)or die('Query failed: ' . mysql_error());
                 $saved=true;
                     storePatch($patchNo);
                   
                  }//if       
         }//for  
       }//for
  }//if       
  if($saved)
    return "u";
  else
    return false;      
               
 }
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
As I said if i take the queries away it won't crash.
I think it has something to do with the html format...
I have tried everything I could but with no help.
I tried renaming the files and add them a *.txt extension but with no luck.
I'm sure you experienced people wil have some ideas for me because I'm really stumped!!!

Thank you all