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20100607005529I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Aircraft · Friday Harbor, WA · June 7, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 7, 2010 · 16:50 local
Place
Friday Harbor, WA
Airport
Victoria International
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Foreign air carrier (Part 129)
Operator
HJOF
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
NONE
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
4,500 total4,000 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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.

Sikorsky S-76 helicopter heading to vancouver from Victoria bc was flying along canadian airspace in cruise flight at 5500 ft, while doing cruise checks, PIC heard a noise as if washer or bolt fell from the cb panel to the center console. The fp looked down, the nfp looked up and saw sparks coming from the vicinity of the afcs cb panel. This was followed immediately by flames coming from the same area. Fp initiated descent for a field on san juan island. Nfp saw flames die out and then flare up again. Nfp made a mayday call to Victoria terminal 127.8. Nfp pulled out checklist and inquired about pulling bus tie cbs. (All around the same time). PIC decided to get the fire extinguisher off the center console. By then a/c were nearing the landing site. Remainder of checks completed on the ground. The feeder wires in the afcs was found to have deteriorated allowing the wires to arc against tha afcs cb panel box. The box was removed and repaired in vancouver bc and was installed back on the helicopter in san juan, WA. And was signed-off by a certificated mechanic. Defect was rectified and a/c satisfactory ground run.

As the FAA filed it

SIKORSKY S-76 HELICOPTER HEADING TO VANCOUVER FROM VICTORIA BC WAS FLYING ALONG CANADIAN AIRSPACE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 5500 FT, WHILE DOING CRUISE CHECKS, PIC HEARD A NOISE AS IF WASHER OR BOLT FELL FROM THE CB PANEL TO THE CENTER CONSOLE. THE FP LOOKED DOWN, THE NFP LOOKED UP AND SAW SPARKS COMING FROM THE VICINITY OF THE AFCS CB PANEL. THIS WAS FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY FLAMES COMING FROM THE SAME AREA. FP INITIATED DESCENT FOR A FIELD ON SAN JUAN ISLAND. NFP SAW FLAMES DIE OUT AND THEN FLARE UP AGAIN. NFP MADE A MAYDAY CALL TO VICTORIA TERMINAL 127.8. NFP PULLED OUT CHECKLIST AND INQUIRED ABOUT PULLING BUS TIE CBS. (ALL AROUND THE SAME TIME). PIC DECIDED TO GET THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER OFF THE CENTER CONSOLE. BY THEN A/C WERE NEARING THE LANDING SITE. REMAINDER OF CHECKS COMPLETED ON THE GROUND. THE FEEDER WIRES IN THE AFCS WAS FOUND TO HAVE DETERIORATED ALLOWING THE WIRES TO ARC AGAINST THA AFCS CB PANEL BOX. THE BOX WAS REMOVED AND REPAIRED IN VANCOUVER BC AND WAS INSTALLED BACK ON THE HELICOPTER IN SAN JUAN, WA. AND WAS SIGNED-OFF BY A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC. DEFECT WAS RECTIFIED AND A/C SATISFACTORY GROUND RUN.