# Incident 20020907027949I: Bell 412, Amelia, LA, September 7, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 7, 2002
- Place: Amelia, LA
- Airport: Lake Palourde Base Heliport
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: HEEA
- Location: 29.6943° N, 91.0998° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Lake Palourde Base Heliport (7LS3), closed, within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6943&lon=-91.0998&mi=10
- Aircraft: N800Y (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 412
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020907027949I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) EXTERNAL LIFE RAFT INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED IN FLIGHT WHILE THE HELICOPTER WAS ON SHORT FINAL FOR LANDING. THE INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT WAS CAUSED BY THE LATCH MECHANISM VIBRATING LOOSE FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE RAFT IS INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH STC SRO9343RC. THE STC HOLDER FOR THE RAFT AND THE RESPONSIBLE FAA CERTIFICATION OFFICE IS REEVALUATING THE LATCH MECHANISM. THE OPERATOR OF THIS AIRCRAFT IS THE ONLY CURRENT USER OF THIS RAFT SYSTEM

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.

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