20110716030299I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Eurocopter AS 350 B3 · Mcallen, TX · July 16, 2011

Date: July 16, 2011 · 20:31 local
Place: Mcallen, TX
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N203TU
Reported as: Eurocopter AS 350 B3
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

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.

Aircraft was in maintenance prior to flight. To facilitate maintenance the mechanic removed left chin bubble from aircraft. The mechanic struggled to reinstall the chin bubble. Aircraft flew and during landing approach the chin bubble fell out. Part was retreived and installed by a different mechcanic using the proper technique called out in the maintenance manual. He also noted that this particular widow was difficult to install. Seal was replaced even though it didn't show any damage. Aircraft was released and the window remained installed.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS IN MAINTENANCE PRIOR TO FLIGHT. TO FACILITATE MAINTENANCE THE MECHANIC REMOVED LEFT CHIN BUBBLE FROM AIRCRAFT. THE MECHANIC STRUGGLED TO REINSTALL THE CHIN BUBBLE. AIRCRAFT FLEW AND DURING LANDING APPROACH THE CHIN BUBBLE FELL OUT. PART WAS RETREIVED AND INSTALLED BY A DIFFERENT MECHCANIC USING THE PROPER TECHNIQUE CALLED OUT IN THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THIS PARTICULAR WIDOW WAS DIFFICULT TO INSTALL. SEAL WAS REPLACED EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN'T SHOW ANY DAMAGE. AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED AND THE WINDOW REMAINED INSTALLED.