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20040211001589I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Urocop EC120B · San Luis Obispo, CA · February 11, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 11, 2004 · 11:30 local
Place
San Luis Obispo, CA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N488SH
Reported as
Urocop EC120B
Reported engine
TMECA ARRIU2F
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,050 total475 in this make and model55 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 stated while going through the start procedure the starter would not engage. He remembered that there is a micro switch on the rotor brake that prevents the starter from engaging when the rotor brake is not in the fully stowed position. Eurocopter has stated that sometimes the micro switch sticks even though the rotor brake handle is fully stowed. Usually a light tap on the switch cures the problem. He exited the helicopter, opened the right transmission cowling (where the micro switch is located) and tapped on the switch. He closed the cowling without latching it and engaged the starter button to see if that fixed it. The starter worked so he jumped in and completed the start procedure. When they were approximately 6 miles north west of san louis Obispo airport (sbp), he heard a "thunk". He looked in the mirror and noticed what was left of the cowling flapping in the breeze. The pilot initiated an "emergency" landing to a hilltop and shut the aircraft down to inspect the damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED WHILE GOING THROUGH THE START PROCEDURE THE STARTER WOULD NOT ENGAGE. HE REMEMBERED THAT THERE IS A MICRO SWITCH ON THE ROTOR BRAKE THAT PREVENTS THE STARTER FROM ENGAGING WHEN THE ROTOR BRAKE IS NOT IN THE FULLY STOWED POSITION. EUROCOPTER HAS STATED THAT SOMETIMES THE MICRO SWITCH STICKS EVEN THOUGH THE ROTOR BRAKE HANDLE IS FULLY STOWED. USUALLY A LIGHT TAP ON THE SWITCH CURES THE PROBLEM. HE EXITED THE HELICOPTER, OPENED THE RIGHT TRANSMISSION COWLING (WHERE THE MICRO SWITCH IS LOCATED) AND TAPPED ON THE SWITCH. HE CLOSED THE COWLING WITHOUT LATCHING IT AND ENGAGED THE STARTER BUTTON TO SEE IF THAT FIXED IT. THE STARTER WORKED SO HE JUMPED IN AND COMPLETED THE START PROCEDURE. WHEN THEY WERE APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES NORTH WEST OF SAN LOUIS OBISPO AIRPORT (SBP), HE HEARD A "THUNK". HE LOOKED IN THE MIRROR AND NOTICED WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE COWLING FLAPPING IN THE BREEZE. THE PILOT INITIATED AN "EMERGENCY" LANDING TO A HILLTOP AND SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE.