# Accident 20030813019959A: Snias AS350D, Lewiston, ID, August 13, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 13, 2003, 14:35 local time
- Place: Lewiston, ID
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: X5HL
- Location: 46.3742° N, 116.8467° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.3742&lon=-116.8467&mi=10
- Aircraft: N57731, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N57731-2014-06-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale AS350D (registry code 8680804, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350D
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C30
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,000 total, 100 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA03FA169](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03FA169) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030813019959A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A MISSION DROPPING WATER FROM A BAMBI BUCKET WITHLONG LINE IN USE. THE PILOT HAD PICKED UP A LOAD OF WATER AND HAD REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 150' WHEN THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG, ENGINE OUT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, ENGINE OUT HORN SOUNDED AND THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE POWER LOSS. HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND IMPACTED THE GROUND WITHOUT RELEASING THE BAMBI BUCKET WHICH WAS FULL OF WATER. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND ON A HEADING OF 130 DEGREES AND SLID FOR APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET, COMING TO A STOP ON A HEADING OF 060 DEGREES. TWO WITNESSES ON THE GROUND STATED THEY HEARD A POPPING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE FOLLOWED WITH VISIBLE SMOKE AND FLAME COMING FROM THE ENGINE EXHAUST. ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED EXTENSIVE ACCUMULATION OF FERROUS PARTICLES ON THE ENGINE GEARBOX CHIP PLUG. THE ENGINE SUMP CHIP PLUG SHOWED NO ABNORMAL ACCUMULATION OF METAL PARTICLES. THE AIRFRAME MOUNTED ENGINE OIL FILTER WAS EXAMINED AND FOUND TO HAVE AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF METAL PARTICLES IN THE FILTER AND FILTER HOUSING. A SMALL AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL WAS EXAMINED FROM THE EXTERNAL FILTER AND SMALL, SUSPENDED METAL PARTICLES WERE VISIBLE IN THE OIL. THE POWER TURBINE WHEEL WAS SEIZED AND COULD NOT BE ROTATED BY HAND. WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE ROTATED BACKWARDS TO ENGAGE THE POWER TRAIN, SCRAPING AND METAL RATTLING COULD BE HEARD INSIDE THE POWER SECTION OF THE ENGINE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA03FA169](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03FA169), Aug 13, 2003: Aerospatiale AS350D (N57731), Webb, ID, substantial damage. Probable cause: An over temperature condition within the gas generator turbine which led to first stage turbine blade fatigue as well as first stage blade track warping and consequent blade tip rub. The fatigue and…

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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