20021004026609I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Snias AS350B3 · Showlow, AZ · October 4, 2002

Date: October 4, 2002 · 11:02 local
Place: Showlow, AZ
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: HEEA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N972AE
Reported as: Snias AS350B3
Reported engine: TMECA ARRIEL2B
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,000 total150 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

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) The pilot (with 2 medical crewmembers) was on approach to the hospital r/w landing pad at Showlow, AZ, when at approx. 300 ft (AGL) the power plant oversped, over torqued, and overtemped. The pilot entered autorotation and maneuvered the helicopter to a meadow area approx. 1/3 mile northeast from the hospital where he made a successful touchdown. Aircraft landing damage was limited to a slight dent in the fiberglass nose piece. The operational damage to the dynamic hardware will require (per Eurocopter m/m specs) replacement of the main & tail rotor blades, the main rotor (starflex) head, and the turbomeca prime mover. There were no personal injuries or fire. No patient/passengers were on board.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT (WITH 2 MEDICAL CREWMEMBERS) WAS ON APPROACH TO THE HOSPITAL R/W LANDING PAD AT SHOWLOW, AZ, WHEN AT APPROX. 300 FT (AGL) THE POWER PLANT OVERSPED, OVER TORQUED, AND OVERTEMPED. THE PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER TO A MEADOW AREA APPROX. 1/3 MILE NORTHEAST FROM THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE MADE A SUCCESSFUL TOUCHDOWN. AIRCRAFT LANDING DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO A SLIGHT DENT IN THE FIBERGLASS NOSE PIECE. THE OPERATIONAL DAMAGE TO THE DYNAMIC HARDWARE WILL REQUIRE (PER EUROCOPTER M/M SPECS) REPLACEMENT OF THE MAIN & TAIL ROTOR BLADES, THE MAIN ROTOR (STARFLEX) HEAD, AND THE TURBOMECA PRIME MOVER. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES OR FIRE. NO PATIENT/PASSENGERS WERE ON BOARD.