# Incident 20120827020759I: American Eurocopter LLC AS350B2, Hollywood, CA, August 27, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 27, 2012, 18:00 local time
- Place: Hollywood, CA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.0983° N, 118.3267° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Hollywood, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0983&lon=-118.3267&mi=10
- Aircraft: N925TV, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N925TV) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American Eurocopter AS350B2 (registry code 1145000, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-eurocopter-as350b2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1D1 (registry code 60053, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1d1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN EUROCOPTER LLC AS350B2
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 1D1
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 7,213 total, 1,268 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120827020759I

## Narrative

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

DURING AERIAL OPERATIONS COVERING A NEWS EVENT, SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE EXHAUST AREA OF THE ENGINE OF N725TV WHILE IT WAS IN A HOVER. THE PILOT INITIATED AN EMERGENCY LANDING, SETTING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN UNDER POWER IN A PARKING LOT LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHLAND AND FRANKLIN IN HOLYWOOD, CA, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTACTED AND INTERVIWED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS HOVERING DURING A NEWS EVENT FILMING, ANOTHER TELEVISION HELICOPTER CREW INFORMED HIM BY RADIO THAT HIS ENGINE HAD ABRUBTLY STARTED SMOKING. PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IMMEDIATELY TOOK ACTION TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN AN EMPTY PARKING LOT APPROXIMATELY ONE BLOCK FROM HIS HOVER LOCATION. AT NO TIME DID HIS ENGINE LOSE POWER OR OIL PRESSURE, AND HE SET DOWN UNDER POWER WITH A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN AND DESCENT RATE.  THERE WAS NO INFILTRATION OF SMOKE INTO THE PASSENGER/CREW COMPARTMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT.THE AIRCRAFT MECHANIC ARMEN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF:HELITENDER INC.FAA CRS # 1HTR181B10300 AIRPARK WAYHANGAR 3PACOIMA, CA 91331MOVED THE AIRCRAFT BY TRUCK TO THIER HANGAR AT WHITEMAN AIRPORT FOR TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION. THE REAR BEARING WAS COKED UP SLIGHTLY AND THE COKING BROKE LOOSE AND PARTIALLY BLOCKED THE OIL RETURN LINE SO THE OIL BLEW PAST THE LABRINYTH SEAL.THERE WAS NO FAILURE OF THE LABRINYTH SEAL ITSELF, THE OIL PRESSURE SIMPLY OVERCAME THE AIR PRESSURE OF THE SEAL.AIRCRAFT LOST ABOUT 1.25Q OF OIL, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE DONE TO THE REAR BEARING.THEY (HELITENDER INC.) WILL DO A CLEANING OR EXCHANGE OF THE REAR BEARING HOUSING AND THE ENGINE WILL BE RETURNED TO SERVICE AFTER OPERAIONAL CHECKS. THE INCIDENT LOOED WORSE THAN IT WAS DUE TO THE BURNING OIL IN THE HOT SECTION CREATING A LARGE CLOUD OF WHITE SMOKE.

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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