20030407007139A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aerosp SA319B · Valdez, AK · April 7, 2003

Date: April 7, 2003 · 11:20 local
Place: Valdez, AK
Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: PYFC
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N119PH
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC03LA042
Reported as: Aerosp SA319B
People aboard: 6
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 17,500 total845 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N119PHRegistered now · Aerospatiale SA319B ALOUETTE IIIS/N 2119 Airframe modelAerospatiale SA319B ALOUETTE III

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) While performing 135 heliski ops pilot approached lz at 5500'. At touch down aircraft began to shake pilot lifted off to smooth out system shake became violent, pilot headed down hill apprx 500' to better landing area. Enroute the shake became smoother after pilot heard a large bang. A normal landing was made and the aircraft was shut down. During the violent shake aircraft was reported to be almost impossible to control. Control came back after the loud bang. Post flight revealed that the mr blade spacing cable attached to the red blade had broken from it's attachment. And the tail boom lower attach point was bucked from the aircraft shake.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE PERFORMING 135 HELISKI OPS PILOT APPROACHED LZ AT 5500'. AT TOUCH DOWN AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SHAKE PILOT LIFTED OFF TO SMOOTH OUT SYSTEM SHAKE BECAME VIOLENT, PILOT HEADED DOWN HILL APPRX 500' TO BETTER LANDING AREA. ENROUTE THE SHAKE BECAME SMOOTHER AFTER PILOT HEARD A LARGE BANG. A NORMAL LANDING WAS MADE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN. DURING THE VIOLENT SHAKE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED TO BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. CONTROL CAME BACK AFTER THE LOUD BANG. POST FLIGHT REVEALED THAT THE MR BLADE SPACING CABLE ATTACHED TO THE RED BLADE HAD BROKEN FROM IT'S ATTACHMENT. AND THE TAIL BOOM LOWER ATTACH POINT WAS BUCKED FROM THE AIRCRAFT SHAKE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC03LA042Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportValdez, AKThe pilot's encounter with a ground resonance condition during the landing touchdown, which resulted in the shearing of a main rotor spacing cable bolt, and buckling of the tail boom.Apr 7, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N119PH · 1

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

Accident 20060923021739ACruise/Level Flight · Port Alsworth, AK(-23) The pilot reported that he was transporting a previously crashed Piper PA-18 airplane on a 100 foot external load line. The external load line was attached to a spreader bar that was attached to the wing structure of the airplane. The pilot stated that…Sep 23, 2006 · Substantial damage