What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on December 26, 1995, at 7:42 CST, a Bell 214st helicopter, operated by petroleum helicopters, inc., experienced an inadvertent inflation of the emergency floats in level cruise flight. The pilot, Mr. John b. silva, jr., reported that the emergency floats inflated while in level cruise flight, preceded by a loud "pop" sound, followed by a change of attitude. The nose of the aircraft pitched nose down. The emergency checklist was started and entered into autorotation. A passenger informed the crew that the emergency floats had deployed. The pilots added power to the engines and made a precautionary landing on an oil rig in the gulf of Mexico. (SMU-130). Inspection of the aircraft revealed minor damage to the emergency floats. There was no other damage to the aircraft or the 18 passengers or the 2 man crew. Review of pilot information by personnel from the baton rouge flight standards district office revealed that both pilots were properly certificated for the flight and a company flight plan was filed with phi in accordance with the carrier manual. The flight originated at phi's base in amelia, Louisiana, on December 26, 1995, at 7:10 a.m. the incident occurred later that morning at 7:55. Phi maintenance personnel found that Bell float valve assembly, p/n 214-55-95-149 suffered an internal failure, resulting in the inadvertent inflation of the floats.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON DECEMBER 26, 1995, AT 7:42 CST, A BELL 214ST HELICOPTER, OPERATED BY PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC., EXPERIENCED AN INADVERTENT INFLATION OF THE EMERGENCY FLOATS IN LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PILOT, MR. JOHN B. SILVA, JR., REPORTED THAT THE EMERGENCY FLOATS INFLATED WHILE IN LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT, PRECEDED BY A LOUD "POP" SOUND, FOLLOWED BY A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE DOWN. THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST WAS STARTED AND ENTERED INTO AUTOROTATION. A PASSENGER INFORMED THE CREW THAT THE EMERGENCY FLOATS HAD DEPLOYED. THE PILOTS ADDED POWER TO THE ENGINES AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON AN OIL RIG IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. (SMU-130). INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE EMERGENCY FLOATS. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR THE 18 PASSENGERS OR THE 2 MAN CREW. REVIEW OF PILOT INFORMATION BY PERSONNEL FROM THE BATON ROUGE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE REVEALED THAT BOTH PILOTS WERE PROPERLY CERTIFICATED FOR THE FLIGHT AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED WITH PHI IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CARRIER MANUAL. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT PHI'S BASE IN AMELIA, LOUISIANA, ON DECEMBER 26, 1995, AT 7:10 A.M. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED LATER THAT MORNING AT 7:55. PHI MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FOUND THAT BELL FLOAT VALVE ASSEMBLY, P/N 214-55-95-149 SUFFERED AN INTERNAL FAILURE, RESULTING IN THE INADVERTENT INFLATION OF THE FLOATS.
Other reports on N8045T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.