# Accident 19970305002189A: Aerosp AS355F, Washington, PA, March 5, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 5, 1997, 12:15 local time - Place: Washington, PA - Airport: Washington County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Hovering - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: BAQA - Location: 40.1365° N, 80.2902° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WASHINGTON COUNTY (AFJ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1365&lon=-80.2902&mi=10 - Aircraft: N101UC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N101UC-2000-06-26) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aerospatiale AS 355 F ECUREUIL (registry code 8680806, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as-355-f-ecureuil) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AEROSP AS355F - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20F - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,320 total, 36 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC97LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA058) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970305002189A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. MAINTENANCE FLIGHT, REPOSITIONED TO HELI PAD. APPLIED COLLECTED PITCH FOR TAKEOFF, ROLLED ONTO LEFT SIDE. (.19) ON MARCH 5, 1997, AT 1215 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS-355F, N101UC, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT ROLLED OVER AFTER LIFTING TO A HOVER AT THE WASHINGTON COUNTY AIRPORT (AFJ), WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE POSITIONING FLIGHT THAT WAS TO DEPART AFJ, FOR THE WASHINGTON COUNTY HOSPITAL HELIPAD. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER WITH A MECHANIC. THE TEST FLIGHT CONSISTED OF TWO TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS IN THE AFJ TRAFFIC PATTERN, FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE HELICOPTER'S FORWARD AND AFT HYDRAULIC SERVOS. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE SECOND LANDING, THE MECHANIC EXITED THE HELICOPTER, AND THE PILOT WAS TO REPOSITION THE HELICOPTER TO THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE RAISED THE COLLECTIVE, THE HELICOPTER LIFTED FROM THE GROUND, ROLLED LEFT, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO BE IN A LEFT ROLL WHEN THE SKIDS DEPARTED THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT THE HYDRAULIC SERVOS WERE INSTALLED CORRECTLY, AND NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE AIRFRAME WAS OBSERVED. THE HYDRAULIC SERVOS WERE REMOVED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. (.4) A MECHANIC CHANGED ONE OF THE HELICOPTER'S LATERAL CYCLIC SERVOS. THE HELICOPTER WAS TEST FLOWN BY THE PILOT WITH THE MECHANIC ONBOARD. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL TEST FLIGHT, THE MECHANIC EXITED THE HELICOPTER AND THE PILOT WAS TO REPOSITION THE HELICOPTER TO THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD. WHEN THE PILOT RAISED THE COLLECTIVE, THE HELICOPTER LIFTED ABOUT 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND THEN BEGAN TO ROLL LEFT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT FOR THE LEFT ROLL; HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER DID NOT RESPOND AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED CONTROL CONTINUITY, AND THAT THE HYDRAULIC SERVOS WERE INSTALLED CORRECTLY. NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE AIRFRAME WAS OBSERVED. EXAMINATION OF THE SERVOS REVEALED THAT TWO OF THE UNITS TESTED TO MANUFACTURER'S PARAMETERS. THE MASTER SERVO UNIT FAILED THE BENCH T EST, HAD THE APPEARANCE THAT IT HAD BEEN WORKED ON, AND DID NOT MEET MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS. THE HELICOPTER MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS WOULD NOT INDUCE A 'HARD OVER.' ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC97LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA058), Mar 5, 1997: Aerospatiale AS-355F (N101UC), Washington, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The malfunction of a cyclic servo which resulted in a cyclic hard over at a hover. ## Other reports on N101UC (5) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19960125002789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960125002789I), Jan 25, 1996: Aerosp AS355F1 (N101UC), Monongahela, PA, Minor damage. Narrative: while practicing simulated single engine landings (run on) forward portion of port skid tube (from forward crosstube forward) separated from… - [Incident 19941220046009I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941220046009I), Dec 20, 1994: Aerosp AS355F1 (N101UC), Pittsburgh, PA. Heard loud bang enroute diverted to Pittsburgh. Cargo doors separated. Indicates door not secured prior to flight. - [Accident 19911028054699A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19911028054699A), Oct 28, 1991: Aerosp AS355F (N101UC), Billings, MT, Substantial damage. Engine service door opened in flight. Was severed by contact with main rotors. Crew unaware. Bulletin not complied. - [Incident 19910925048339I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910925048339I), Sep 25, 1991: Aerosp AS355F (N101UC), Billings, MT. Right engine fire warning after takeoff. Precautionary landing. Repaired broken wire at fire detector terminal. - [Incident 19880512015299I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880512015299I), May 12, 1988: Aerosp AS355F (N101UC), Reidsville, NC, Minor damage. Tail rotor assembly separated at the gear box in flight. Made safe autorotation. Inadequate service inspections. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.