20120330005509A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eurocopter SA315B · Alva, OK · March 30, 2012

Date: March 30, 2012 · 09:00 local
Place: Alva, OK
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: O4VA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N929JV
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN12LA235
Reported as: Eurocopter SA315B
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARTOUSTEIIIB
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 25,000 total2,500 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N929JVRegistration cancelled Aug 8, 2014 · Eurocopter SA315BS/N 2361 · Built 1973 Airframe modelEurocopter SA315B Engine modelTurbomeca ARTOUSTEIIIBTurbo-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.

Pilot was enroute at 300-400' AGL, 1500' MSL, with an external load when the engine quit at N37 03.19, W099 00.59, 0930 CDT, 30 mar 2012. Pilot entered autorotation with decayed rotor RPM, released the load, and landed hard and flat with a small amount of forward speed such that the aircraft tipped up on it's nose and the blades struck the tail boom, causing damage to the rotor blade tips and the tail rotor drive shaft. Damage classified as substantial. There was no injury to the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS ENROUTE AT 300-400' AGL, 1500' MSL, WITH AN EXTERNAL LOAD WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT AT N37 03.19, W099 00.59, 0930 CDT, 30 MAR 2012. PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION WITH DECAYED ROTOR RPM, RELEASED THE LOAD, AND LANDED HARD AND FLAT WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF FORWARD SPEED SUCH THAT THE AIRCRAFT TIPPED UP ON IT'S NOSE AND THE BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR BLADE TIPS AND THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. DAMAGE CLASSIFIED AS SUBSTANTIAL. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO THE PILOT.

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 CEN12LA235Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAlva, OKFailure of the current and previous operators to comply with the manufacturer's maintenance procedures for operation in sandy environments, which resulted in turbine case erosion and the subsequent uncontained engine failure.Mar 30, 2012 · Substantial damage