What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 30, 2004, approximately 1240 pacific daylight time, a Sikorsky S-70A twin-engine helicopter, N160LA, experienced an uncontained number 2 engine failure upon reaching cruise flight. The helicopter landed uneventfully with minor damage at the Whiteman Airport, pacoima, California. The airline transport pilot and two paramedics were not injured. The helicopter was registered to, and operated by, the county of Los Angeles fire department (lafd) as a public-use flight under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The helicopter departed an unimproved landing area approximately 5 minutes prior to the event, and was destined for palmdale, California. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight. According to the lafd chief pilot, the helicopter departed on its second flight of the day at an operating weight of 16,900 pounds. It departed the landing area, which was located on top of a mountain at the 3,700-foot level. The observed temperature was 90 degrees fahrenheit. Upon reaching 100 knots with 80 percent torque, the pilot heard a loud bang followed by a slight yaw variation. The pilot observed thatthe number 2 engine parameters were indicating a loss of power. The pilot performed the emergency procedures, and diverted to the Whiteman Airport where he performed a run-on landing. The helicopter's number 2 engine sustained uncontained engine damage at its 8 o'clock position, and the helicopter's titanium firewall was punctured in two locations. One piece of uncontained debris punctured the firewall within 1.5 inches of a fuel line. The incident helicopter was a civilian version of Sikorsky's black hawk helicopter. It utilized two general electric (ge) T700-701C turboshaft engines, each rated at 1,890 shaft horsepower. The number 2 engine (serial number GE-E-763397) accumulated a total of 1,493 hours, and had not yet undergone an overhaul. According to the lafd mechanic, the engine was back at the ge service center approximately 100-200 hours prior to the event for an oil leak. The T700-701C engine is not federal aviation administration (FAA) certificated, but shares numerous similarities with the CT-7 engines utilized on the saab 340 transport category turboprop airplanes. The engine has been shipped to ge's facility where it will be examined under the supervision of FAA personnel.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 30, 2004, APPROXIMATELY 1240 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A SIKORSKY S-70A TWIN-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N160LA, EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTAINED NUMBER 2 ENGINE FAILURE UPON REACHING CRUISE FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER LANDED UNEVENTFULLY WITH MINOR DAMAGE AT THE WHITEMAN AIRPORT, PACOIMA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND TWO PARAMEDICS WERE NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO, AND OPERATED BY, THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT (LAFD) AS A PUBLIC-USE FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED AN UNIMPROVED LANDING AREA APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE EVENT, AND WAS DESTINED FOR PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA. DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE LAFD CHIEF PILOT, THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED ON ITS SECOND FLIGHT OF THE DAY AT AN OPERATING WEIGHT OF 16,900 POUNDS. IT DEPARTED THE LANDING AREA, WHICH WAS LOCATED ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN AT THE 3,700-FOOT LEVEL. THE OBSERVED TEMPERATURE WAS 90 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. UPON REACHING 100 KNOTS WITH 80 PERCENT TORQUE, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY A SLIGHT YAW VARIATION. THE PILOT OBSERVED THATTHE NUMBER 2 ENGINE PARAMETERS WERE INDICATING A LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, AND DIVERTED TO THE WHITEMAN AIRPORT WHERE HE PERFORMED A RUN-ON LANDING. THE HELICOPTER'S NUMBER 2 ENGINE SUSTAINED UNCONTAINED ENGINE DAMAGE AT ITS 8 O'CLOCK POSITION, AND THE HELICOPTER'S TITANIUM FIREWALL WAS PUNCTURED IN TWO LOCATIONS. ONE PIECE OF UNCONTAINED DEBRIS PUNCTURED THE FIREWALL WITHIN 1.5 INCHES OF A FUEL LINE. THE INCIDENT HELICOPTER WAS A CIVILIAN VERSION OF SIKORSKY'S BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER. IT UTILIZED TWO GENERAL ELECTRIC (GE) T700-701C TURBOSHAFT ENGINES, EACH RATED AT 1,890 SHAFT HORSEPOWER. THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE (SERIAL NUMBER GE-E-763397) ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 1,493 HOURS, AND HAD NOT YET UNDERGONE AN OVERHAUL. ACCORDING TO THE LAFD MECHANIC, THE ENGINE WAS BACK AT THE GE SERVICE CENTER APPROXIMATELY 100-200 HOURS PRIOR TO THE EVENT FOR AN OIL LEAK. THE T700-701C ENGINE IS NOT FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) CERTIFICATED, BUT SHARES NUMEROUS SIMILARITIES WITH THE CT-7 ENGINES UTILIZED ON THE SAAB 340 TRANSPORT CATEGORY TURBOPROP AIRPLANES. THE ENGINE HAS BEEN SHIPPED TO GE'S FACILITY WHERE IT WILL BE EXAMINED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF FAA PERSONNEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N160LA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.