20110727014929A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eurocopter AS 350 B3 · Troutdale, OR · July 27, 2011

Date: July 27, 2011 · 15:52 local
Place: Troutdale, OR
Airport: Troutdale
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: QMLA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N808LF
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR11LA352
Reported as: Eurocopter AS 350 B3
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,000 total600 in this make and model45 in the last 90 days

N808LFRegistered now · Eurocopter AS 350 B3S/N 4983 · Built 2010 Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 B3 Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-2B1Turbo-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.

Aircraft departed aurora in route to the dalles approx. 15 minutes into flight the pilot heard a thump and aircraft started vibrating. The pilot decided a precautionary landing at Troutdale. Upon inspection the center tail drive shaft covr was missing, one of the main rotor blades had significant damage at the tip. There were also scrapes and scrathes on the tail rotor. Aircraft had just had a 100 hour inspection completed at aurora prior to this flight. Interview with each mechanic and the pilot indicated that all had seen the panel installed and secured. The right hand side still has the fasteners installed the left side fasteners are missing.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AURORA IN ROUTE TO THE DALLES APPROX. 15 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT THE PILOT HEARD A THUMP AND AIRCRAFT STARTED VIBRATING. THE PILOT DECIDED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT TROUTDALE. UPON INSPECTION THE CENTER TAIL DRIVE SHAFT COVR WAS MISSING, ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AT THE TIP. THERE WERE ALSO SCRAPES AND SCRATHES ON THE TAIL ROTOR.AIRCRAFT HAD JUST HAD A 100 HOUR INSPECTION COMPLETED AT AURORA PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT.INTERVIEW WITH EACH MECHANIC AND THE PILOT INDICATED THAT ALL HAD SEEN THE PANEL INSTALLED AND SECURED. THE RIGHT HAND SIDE STILL HAS THE FASTENERS INSTALLED THE LEFT SIDE FASTENERS ARE MISSING.

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 WPR11LA352Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTroutdale, ORThe in-flight separation of the tail rotor drive shaft cover as a result of maintenance personnel not ensuring that it was secured after a maintenance inspection; also causal was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection of the helicopter.Jul 27, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N808LF · 2

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

Accident 20220416002309APhoenix, AZN808 landed at the city helo pad and requested a hot refuel. The crew of the helicopter acted in accordance with the company procedures listed in the general operations manual. The fueler arrived and asked about the amount of fuel requested. He then pulled…Apr 16, 2022 · Minor damage Incident 20140626010009IHover/Holding · Temple, TXWhile lifting off to a hover, the aircraft began a rotation counter-clockwise. Following several rotations, the pilot lowered the aircraft to hover height, retarded the throttle and performed a hovering autorotation. The aircraft was drifting to the right and…Jun 26, 2014 · Minor damage