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20060929019389I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Snias AS350B2 · Pearce Ferry, AR · September 29, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
September 29, 2006 · 10:25 local
Place
Pearce Ferry, AR
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
KBMA
Aircraft
N230SH
Reported as
Snias AS350B2
Reported engine
TMECA ARRIEL1
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,533 total183 in this make and model178 in the last 90 days
N230SHRegistration cancelled Oct 20, 2022 · Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUILS/N 2337 · Built 1990Airframe modelAerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUILEngine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1SERTurbo-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) Helicopter made a precautionary landing with four passengers on board due to an electrical problem northwest of Pearce Ferry airstrip. Operator stated that he noticed the fuel pressure light was on and started to lose other electrical components, so he made the call to land the helicopter. Flight follower had not heard from the helicopter and notified operations. The company initiated a search with their helicopters with no luck finding the downed helicopter. Company contacted clark county search and rescue and lake mead dispatch and asked for their assistance in locating the downed helicopter. After two and a half hours on the ground pilot decided to use the radio after letting the voltage regain enough power to make a call and tell them where they were located. The company received a call from lake mead dispatch stating that the helicopter and passengers had been located with no helicopter damage nor passenger injuries. The company dispatched a helicopter with a mechanic, after troubleshooting they replaced the main battery and noticed that the dim switch was all the way into the dim position. Returned helicopter back to service and flew back to mccarran international airport.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) HELICOPTER MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WITH FOUR PASSENGERS ON BOARD DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM NORTHWEST OF PEARCE FERRY AIRSTRIP. OPERATOR STATED THAT HE NOTICED THE FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT WAS ON AND STARTED TO LOSE OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, SO HE MADE THE CALL TO LAND THE HELICOPTER. FLIGHT FOLLOWER HAD NOT HEARD FROM THE HELICOPTER AND NOTIFIED OPERATIONS. THE COMPANY INITIATED A SEARCH WITH THEIR HELICOPTERS WITH NO LUCK FINDING THE DOWNED HELICOPTER. COMPANY CONTACTED CLARK COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE AND LAKE MEAD DISPATCH AND ASKED FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING THE DOWNED HELICOPTER. AFTER TWO AND A HALF HOURS ON THE GROUND PILOT DECIDED TO USE THE RADIO AFTER LETTING THE VOLTAGE REGAIN ENOUGH POWER TO MAKE A CALL AND TELL THEM WHERE THEY WERE LOCATED. THE COMPANY RECEIVED A CALL FROM LAKE MEAD DISPATCH STATING THAT THE HELICOPTER AND PASSENGERS HAD BEEN LOCATED WITH NO HELICOPTER DAMAGE NOR PASSENGER INJURIES. THE COMPANY DISPATCHED A HELICOPTER WITH A MECHANIC, AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THEY REPLACED THE MAIN BATTERY AND NOTICED THAT THE DIM SWITCH WAS ALL THE WAY INTO THE DIM POSITION. RETURNED HELICOPTER BACK TO SERVICE AND FLEW BACK TO MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.