19951030041959I

Incident

FAA incident report · Bell 214ST · Gulf Of Mexico, LA · October 30, 1995

Date: October 30, 1995 · 06:50 local
Place: Gulf Of Mexico, LA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: ALGA
Aircraft: N390AL
Reported as: Bell 214ST
People aboard: 19
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 15,168 total2,795 in this make and model207 in the last 90 days

N390ALRegistered now · Bell 214STS/N 28198 · Built 1990 Airframe modelBell 214ST Engine modelGE CT7 seriesTurbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: while in cruise flight over the Gulf Of Mexico with an indicated airspeed of 130 knots, the flight crew stated that they began to hear a "whooshing" noise followed by a severe vibration. The pilot stated that the vibration increased to a level that the cyclic stick was striking his left and right legs with each revolution of the main rotor. The flight crew began a descent and approach to the nearest offshore platform; but due to the small size of the platform and the erratic control response of the aircraft, they elected to abort the approach and hover to a larger platform which was approximately 2 miles away. The pilot stated that, immediately after landing, the aircraft began to lurch on the heliport. (Continued on page 2 - but page 2 is not included.)

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO WITH AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 130 KNOTS, THE FLIGHT CREW STATED THAT THEY BEGAN TO HEAR A "WHOOSHING" NOISE FOLLOWED BY A SEVERE VIBRATION. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE VIBRATION INCREASED TO A LEVEL THAT THE CYCLIC STICK WAS STRIKING HIS LEFT AND RIGHT LEGS WITH EACH REVOLUTION OF THE MAIN ROTOR. THE FLIGHT CREW BEGAN A DESCENT AND APPROACH TO THE NEAREST OFFSHORE PLATFORM; BUT DUE TO THE SMALL SIZE OF THE PLATFORM AND THE ERRATIC CONTROL RESPONSE OF THE AIRCRAFT, THEY ELECTED TO ABORT THE APPROACH AND HOVER TO A LARGER PLATFORM WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES AWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT, IMMEDIATELY AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LURCH ON THE HELIPORT. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 - BUT PAGE 2 IS NOT INCLUDED.)