# Accident 20070707014989A: Urocop EC130B4, Hudson River, July 7, 2007

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 7, 2007, 16:51 local time
- Place: Hudson River
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: MHIA
- Location: 40.7858° N, 73.9917° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7858&lon=-73.9917&mi=10
- Aircraft: N453AE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N453AE-2014-11-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter EC 130 B4 (registry code 8680989, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-ec-130-b4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1 (registry code 60056, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: UROCOP EC130B4
- Reported engine: TMECA ARRIEL2B1
- People aboard: 8
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,286 total, 217 in this make and model, 160 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA07FA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA07FA116) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070707014989A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON BASE FINAL TO THE WEST 30TH STREET HELIPORT (JRA) OVER THE HUDSON RIVER IN NY, DURING A SIGHT-SEEING TOUR WITH SEVEN PASSENGERS ONBOARD, PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOUD BANG NOISE, FOLLOWED BY AIRFRAME VIBRATION. PIC ELECTED TO PERFORM A FORCED LANDING BY DEPLOYING THE SKID'S FLOATS AND AUTOROTATED ONTO THE RIVER NORTH OF THE LINCOLN TUNNEL, ADJACENT TO WECHAWKIN, NJ. NEARBY BOATERS RESCUED THE PASSENGERS AND THE PIC. THE ROTORCRAFT WAS TOWED TO PORT LIBERTE, JERSEY CITY, NJ. ON SUNDAY JULY 7, 2007, FAA IIC ARRIVED AT THE PORT AND OBSERVED THAT THE ROTORCRAFT'S MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION WAS DETACHED FROM ITS BASE AND LEANING TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRFRAME AND THE ENGINE, ALSO DETACHED FROM ITS BASE AND LEANING TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRFRAME. ALL THREE MAIN ROTORS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND WAS NOT RECOVERED DURING THE SALVAGE OPERATION. UNDER INVESTIGATION. (-23 AMENDMENT) NEW INFORMATION. FURTHER INVESTIGATIVE ANALYSIS BY EUROCOPTER AND FRANCE BEA ON THE BLUE MAIN ROTOR BLADE EXAMINATION (P/N 355A-11-0030.00 S/N 22312) AND ACTION REQUESTED FROM THE NTSB FOR DESTRUCTIVE TESTING OF THE AFOREMENTIONED BLADE AND EXAMINATION OF THE TWO OTHER BLADES FROM N453AE FOR DATA COMPARISON. THIS WAS DOCUMENTED FROM EUROCOPTER/BEA MEETING ON FEBRUARY 21, 2008 AND THE REPORT IS ATTACHED. NTSB MATERIALS LABORATORY FACTUAL REPORT NUMBER 08-008 FOR THE MAIN TRANSMISSION MOUNT CROSSBEAM WITH ATTACHED FRACTURED AIRFRAME STRUCTURE AND PORTION OF THE FRACTURED TRANSMISSION SUPPORT BAR WITH ATTACHED UPPER ROD END FITTING. REPORT IS ATTACHED.

## 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 MIA07FA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA07FA116), Jul 7, 2007: Eurocopter EC 130 B4 (N453AE), New York, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: The fatigue fracture and in-flight separation of a 20-inch section of the blue composite main rotor blade trailing edge, aft of the spar, due to inadequate manufacture, and the manufacturer’s…

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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