19980513040989I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 407 · Gulf Of Mexico, LA · May 13, 1998

Date: May 13, 1998 · 10:30 local
Place: Gulf Of Mexico, LA
Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: HEEA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N403PH
Reported as: Bell 407
Reported engine: Allison 250C47M
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,920 total950 in this make and model147 in the last 90 days

N403PHRegistration cancelled Jul 30, 1999 · Bell 407S/N 53177 Airframe modelBell 407

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.

(-5)A helicopter experienced the illumination of several caution lights on the caution panel with no notice of yaw or decrease in engine noise. The throttle was rolled off to prevent an overspeed while checking aircraft instruments and gauges. Acknowledging that the fadec system had failed, the pilot aligned the aircraft into the wind, adjusted controls, armed and popped the floats, and landed the aircraft into the water. Subsequent investigation revealed that a polarity sensitive 22 micro farad tantalum capacitor, pn M39003/09-0254, on the power supply board was found to have been installed backwards.

As the FAA filed it

(-5)A HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED THE ILLUMINATION OF SEVERAL CAUTION LIGHTS ON THE CAUTION PANEL WITH NO NOTICE OF YAW OR DECREASE IN ENGINE NOISE. THE THROTTLE WAS ROLLED OFF TO PREVENT AN OVERSPEED WHILE CHECKING AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS AND GAUGES. ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE FADEC SYSTEM HAD FAILED, THE PILOT ALIGNED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE WIND, ADJUSTED CONTROLS, ARMED AND POPPED THE FLOATS, AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE WATER. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A POLARITY SENSITIVE 22 MICRO FARAD TANTALUM CAPACITOR, PN M39003/09-0254, ON THE POWER SUPPLY BOARD WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN INSTALLED BACKWARDS.

Other reports on N403PH · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19981005028229AReportPetroleum helicopters collided in mid air with N5792H, a tex air helicopter, N403PH has substantial damage and pilot has minor inj.g (-23) while level a cruise altitude of 1,000 feet MSL, the pilot experienced a midair collision with an AS-355-F1 helicopter,…Oct 5, 1998 · Substantial damage