20030418005569A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aerosp AS355N · Redding, CA · April 18, 2003

Date: April 18, 2003 · 10:15 local
Place: Redding, CA
Airport: Redding Municipal
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N355J
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX03LA138
Reported as: Aerosp AS355N
Pilot’s flight hours: 11,000 total150 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N355JRegistration cancelled Feb 14, 2018 · Eurocopter/France AS355N TWINSTARS/N 5360 · Built 1986 Airframe modelEurocopter/France AS355N TWINSTAR Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIUS-1ATurbo-shaft

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) Pilot stated that he noticed a split between the enginse torque. He also heard a high pich noise, the aircraft then started to turn to the left and the nose pitch down. As he started to lose contronl of the aircraft, he decided to place the aircraft on the ground. After doing so, the main rotor hit some bushes that were near the aircraft. The aircraft spun around causing the tail rotor to separate and also causing damage to the right skid and main rotor.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A SPLIT BETWEEN THE ENGINSE TORQUE. HE ALSO HEARD A HIGH PICH NOISE, THE AIRCRAFT THEN STARTED TO TURN TO THE LEFT AND THE NOSE PITCH DOWN. AS HE STARTED TO LOSE CONTRONL OF THE AIRCRAFT, HE DECIDED TO PLACE THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND. AFTER DOING SO, THE MAIN ROTOR HIT SOME BUSHES THAT WERE NEAR THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND CAUSING THE TAIL ROTOR TO SEPARATE AND ALSO CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT SKID AND MAIN ROTOR.

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 LAX03LA138Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRedding, CAFailure of the pilot to maintain adequate obstruction clearance during landing, which resulted in the tail rotor contacting a brush pile. The accident sequence was precipitated by the initiation of a precautionary landing by the pilot due to a discrepancy…Apr 18, 2003 · Substantial damage