20100322036039I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Sikorsky S-92A · Galliano, LA · March 22, 2010

Date: March 22, 2010 · 06:20 local
Place: Galliano, LA
Airport: Galliano Bristow Heliport
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: ALGA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N921AL
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN10IA169
Reported as: Sikorsky S-92A
Reported engine: GE CT7-8A
People aboard: 21
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 18,388 total520 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days

N921ALRegistration cancelled Oct 27, 2010 · Sikorsky S-92AS/N 920090 · Built 2008 Airframe modelSikorsky S-92A Engine modelGE CT7-8ATurbo-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.

N921AL departed 2LS0 at 0602 in route to WR206 to exchange passengers. After landing a passenger unload and load was conducted without shutdown. The flight was uneventful for the return to 2LS0 with a safe landing at 0850. A post flight inspection revealed that an APU access door/panel located horizontally on the top side of the aircraft had departed during the flight. It was also determined that the door/panel had made contact with a main rotor blade, the tail boom, and a tail rotor blade.

As the FAA filed it

N921AL DEPARTED 2LS0 AT 0602 IN ROUTE TO WR206 TO EXCHANGE PASSENGERS. AFTER LANDING A PASSENGER UNLOAD AND LOAD WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT SHUTDOWN. THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL FOR THE RETURN TO 2LS0 WITH A SAFE LANDING AT 0850. A POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT AN APU ACCESS DOOR/PANEL LOCATED HORIZONTALLY ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED DURING THE FLIGHT. IT WAS ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE DOOR/PANEL HAD MADE CONTACT WITH A MAIN ROTOR BLADE, THE TAIL BOOM, AND A TAIL ROTOR BLADE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN10IA169Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportGalliano, LAAn unsecured access door, which departed the helicopter and damaged a main rotor blade and a tail rotor blade. Contributing to the incident was the helicopter's color scheme, which made visual inspection of the door difficult.Mar 22, 2010 · Minor damage