# Incident 20100407031869I: Eurocopter EC 130 B4, Grand Canyon, AZ, April 7, 2010

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 7, 2010, 05:30 local time
- Place: Grand Canyon, AZ
- Airport: Grand Canyon Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: PG9A
- Location: 36.0544° N, 112.1393° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Grand Canyon, AZ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0544&lon=-112.1393&mi=10
- Aircraft: N130GC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N130GC) (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: EUROCOPTER EC 130 B4
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 2B1
- People aboard: 7
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,830 total, 242 in this make and model, 70 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100407031869I

## Narrative

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

ON APRIL 7, 2010, N130GC, S/N 3562, AIRCRAFT TOTAL TIME 6507.7, PILOT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN OVERSPEED AND DECELERATION WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING READY FOR A NORTH CANYON TOUR DEPARTURE AT THE SOUTH RIM HELIBASE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN REMOVED FROM SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED. THE TECHNICIAN UPON ARRIVAL DISCOVERED A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE MAIN ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR DRIVE TRAIN. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THAT THE MAIN DRIVE SHAFT COUPLING AFT END HAD DISCONNECTED FROM THE SHAFT AND THUS RESULTED IN THE OVERSPEED OF THE ENGINE. ALL REMAINING EC 130 AIRCRAFT WERE THEN REMOVED FROM FLIGHT STATUS AND INSPECTED FOR SECURITY OF ATTACHMENT OF THE MAIN ROTOR COUPLINGS AND ALL WERE FOUND IN GOOD CONDITION.  AS A RESULT THE INCIDENT AN INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN INITIATED AND IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, AND A MEETING WITH THE MAINTENANCE STAFF WAS HELD TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE INCIDENT. VDRP WAS INITIATED. UPON COMPLETION PAPILLON WILL PUT IN PLACE A COMPREHENSIVE FIX AND SET NEW PROCEDURE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES IN ORDER TO PREVENT FUTURE EPISODES.

## Other reports on N130GC (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20110311003239I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110311003239I), Mar 11, 2011: Eurocopter EC 130 B4 (N130GC), Boulder City, NV, Minor damage. Pilot stated that while hovering forward for takeoff he experienced a binding in the right cyclic quadrant. He lowered the collective piltch to place the…

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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