What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on September 18, 1995, at 0940, an mbb BO-105 helicopter owned by petroleum helicopters, inc. (phi), experienced a cyclic hardover during a training flight. On a highway approach to the airport in Lafayette, Louisiana, the aircraft abruptly and violently pitched nose down. The pilot to whom the checkride was being given and the check airman pulled aft on the cyclic to level the aircraft. The pilot-in-command (PIC) estimates that the aircraft pitched down 90 degrees but less than 100 feet was lost. Loose equipment was thrown about the cabin. There was no injury to personnel or damage to the aircraft. Once control was re-established, the PIC saw that the "hydraulic block" light was illuminated and the mast moment indicator (mmi) limit light was on steady. The aircraft was landed on the phi heliport at the Lafayette airport without further incident. Maintenance discovered that the hydraulic system had switched over to the no. 2 system. After rotating the main rotor blades, the hydraulic system switched back to the no. 1 system. The hydraulic pack was removed from the aircraft and tagged by the baton rouge flight standards district office. The hydraulic pack was sent to the manufacturer for evaluation and testing.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1995, AT 0940, AN MBB BO-105 HELICOPTER OWNED BY PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC. (PHI), EXPERIENCED A CYCLIC HARDOVER DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT. ON A HIGHWAY APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT IN LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY AND VIOLENTLY PITCHED NOSE DOWN. THE PILOT TO WHOM THE CHECKRIDE WAS BEING GIVEN AND THE CHECK AIRMAN PULLED AFT ON THE CYCLIC TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) ESTIMATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN 90 DEGREES BUT LESS THAN 100 FEET WAS LOST. LOOSE EQUIPMENT WAS THROWN ABOUT THE CABIN. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO PERSONNEL OR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. ONCE CONTROL WAS RE-ESTABLISHED, THE PIC SAW THAT THE "HYDRAULIC BLOCK" LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE MAST MOMENT INDICATOR (MMI) LIMIT LIGHT WAS ON STEADY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED ON THE PHI HELIPORT AT THE LAFAYETTE AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MAINTENANCE DISCOVERED THAT THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM HAD SWITCHED OVER TO THE NO. 2 SYSTEM. AFTER ROTATING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES, THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM SWITCHED BACK TO THE NO. 1 SYSTEM. THE HYDRAULIC PACK WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND TAGGED BY THE BATON ROUGE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE. THE HYDRAULIC PACK WAS SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR EVALUATION AND TESTING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.