19951107045069I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Skrsky S76A · Houma, LA · November 7, 1995

Date: November 7, 1995 · 12:56 local
Place: Houma, LA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: HEEA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N31217
Reported as: Skrsky S76A
People aboard: 10
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 15,081 total2,271 in this make and model76 in the last 90 days

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: on November 7, 1995, at 1257 CST, Sikorsky model S76A helicopter, N31217, operated by petroleum helicopters, inc. (phi), had departed the base in fourchon, Louisiana, when the pilot experienced a strong vibration. The pilot made a precautionary landing in the marsh without causing damage to the aircraft or injuring any of the eight passengers. The flight was conducted in accordancae with visual flight rules, and the pilot had filed a company flight plan. The airman and medical certificates of pilots james e. spear, jr., and gregory g. graham were inspected and found to be in compliance with the federal aviation regulations and company procedures. The flight originated at the phi base in fourchon, LA November 7, 1995, at 1256. Phi maintenance personnel inspected aircraft N31217 after the flight and found that one of the tail rotor blades had lost a blade tip weight.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON NOVEMBER 7, 1995, AT 1257 CST, SIKORSKY MODEL S76A HELICOPTER, N31217, OPERATED BY PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC. (PHI), HAD DEPARTED THE BASE IN FOURCHON, LOUISIANA, WHEN THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A STRONG VIBRATION. THE PILOT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN THE MARSH WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR INJURING ANY OF THE EIGHT PASSENGERS. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCAE WITH VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, AND THE PILOT HAD FILED A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRMAN AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATES OF PILOTS JAMES E. SPEAR, JR., AND GREGORY G. GRAHAM WERE INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS AND COMPANY PROCEDURES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE PHI BASE IN FOURCHON, LA NOVEMBER 7, 1995, AT 1256. PHI MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL INSPECTED AIRCRAFT N31217 AFTER THE FLIGHT AND FOUND THAT ONE OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES HAD LOST A BLADE TIP WEIGHT.