20021106035839I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hughes 369HS · Kolonia · November 6, 2002

Date: November 6, 2002 · 11:00 local
Place: Kolonia
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N85AL
Reported as: Hughes 369HS
Reported engine: Allison 250C20
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,300 total2 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) On 11/6/02, Mr. Steven keith hoffman was PIC of N85AL, a Hughes 500C, that was on a fish spotting flight near the equator. At approximately 11:00 am local time, the helicopter experienced an engine failure due to amal-functioning oil cooler by-pass valve. The stuck by-pass valve caused the loss of engine oil when the starter/generator seals failed. Mr. Hoffman made a auto-rotation to touchdown on top of a 20 foot swell. After the touchdown the helicopter started to dip down due to the swells. At this time the rotor blades hit the tail boom resulting in damage to the tail boom and to the rotor blades.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 11/6/02, MR. STEVEN KEITH HOFFMAN WAS PIC OF N85AL, A HUGHES 500C, THAT WAS ON A FISH SPOTTING FLIGHT NEAR THE EQUATOR. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 AM LOCAL TIME, THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO AMAL-FUNCTIONING OIL COOLER BY-PASS VALVE. THE STUCK BY-PASS VALVE CAUSED THE LOSS OF ENGINE OIL WHEN THE STARTER/GENERATOR SEALS FAILED. MR. HOFFMAN MADE A AUTO-ROTATION TO TOUCHDOWN ON TOP OF A 20 FOOT SWELL. AFTER THE TOUCHDOWN THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO DIP DOWN DUE TO THE SWELLS. AT THIS TIME THE ROTOR BLADES HIT THE TAIL BOOM RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM AND TO THE ROTOR BLADES.