20010112020399I

Incident

FAA incident report · Snias AS350B2 · Van Nuys, CA · January 12, 2001

Date: January 12, 2001 · 19:17 local
Place: Van Nuys, CA
Airport: Van Nuys Airport
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N223LA
Reported as: Snias AS350B2
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0

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.

(-23) Received informal incident report from the Van Nuys air traffic control tower on 01/09/01. Report stated that lapd helicopter PD16 (at approximately 19:17), advised the tower that they had a burning smell in the cockpit. They declared an emergency and landed immediately at the city heliport. The landing was uneventful. The helicopter had 80 percent fuel on board and four passengers. On 01/12/2001 I discussed the matter with the chief of maintenance for the city of los angeles. He stated that shortly after takeoff the flight crew smelled burning rubber and landed. The maintenance crew found that the main rotor transmission input seal had started to leak and fluid leaked onto the air conditioning compressor drive belt that caused it to slip. After which it began to burn from contact with the drive pulley. The maintenance crew changed the input seal on the transmission and replaced the air conditioning drive belt and returned the helicopter to service.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) RECEIVED INFORMAL INCIDENT REPORT FROM THE VAN NUYS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER ON 01/09/01. REPORT STATED THAT LAPD HELICOPTER PD16 (AT APPROXIMATELY 19:17), ADVISED THE TOWER THAT THEY HAD A BURNING SMELL IN THE COCKPIT. THEY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED IMMEDIATELY AT THE CITY HELIPORT. THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE HELICOPTER HAD 80 PERCENT FUEL ON BOARD AND FOUR PASSENGERS. ON 01/12/2001 I DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH THE CHIEF OF MAINTENANCE FOR THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. HE STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE FLIGHT CREW SMELLED BURNING RUBBER AND LANDED. THE MAINTENANCE CREW FOUND THAT THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION INPUT SEAL HAD STARTED TO LEAK AND FLUID LEAKED ONTO THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR DRIVE BELT THAT CAUSED IT TO SLIP. AFTER WHICH IT BEGAN TO BURN FROM CONTACT WITH THE DRIVE PULLEY. THE MAINTENANCE CREW CHANGED THE INPUT SEAL ON THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACED THE AIR CONDITIONING DRIVE BELT AND RETURNED THE HELICOPTER TO SERVICE.