20120904029009I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 · Harrison, AR · September 4, 2012

Date: September 4, 2012 · 13:18 local
Place: Harrison, AR
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: EVCA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N74AE
Reported as: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1
Reported engine: Allison 250-C28 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N74AERegistration cancelled Oct 1, 2018 · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45765 · Built 1983 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 Engine modelAllison 250-C28 seriesTurbo-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.

On September 4, 2012 the left-hand chin bubble departed the aircraft while in cruise-flight. Subsequent investigation determined that the chin bubble had been installed 6 days earlier and by admission of the mechanic, the installation instructions had not been followed. The ica for the installation states that the window will be installed from inside of the aircraft and sealant applied to the rubber seal, as needed. The mechanic did not follow these procedures and did not apply any sealant. The mechanic installed the window from the outside of the aircraft through the airfame opening, contrary to the ica installation procedures. There are no provisions within the ica for installing the transparency in this manner.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2012 THE LEFT-HAND CHIN BUBBLE DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT WHILE IN CRUISE-FLIGHT. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE CHIN BUBBLE HAD BEEN INSTALLED 6 DAYS EARLIER AND BY ADMISSION OF THE MECHANIC, THE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS HAD NOT BEEN FOLLOWED. THE ICA FOR THE INSTALLATION STATES THAT THE WINDOW WILL BE INSTALLED FROM INSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SEALANT APPLIED TO THE RUBBER SEAL, AS NEEDED. THE MECHANIC DID NOT FOLLOW THESE PROCEDURES AND DID NOT APPLY ANY SEALANT. THE MECHANIC INSTALLED THE WINDOW FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE AIRFAME OPENING, CONTRARY TO THE ICA INSTALLATION PROCEDURES. THERE ARE NO PROVISIONS WITHIN THE ICA FOR INSTALLING THE TRANSPARENCY IN THIS MANNER.

Other reports on N74AE · 1

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

Accident 20030920023469APwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft · Shoals, IN(-23) On September 20, 2003, at 2338 EST, a Bell helicopter model 206-L1, N74AE, registered to air evac leasing corp. made a hard landing at a gypsum quarry parking lot near Shoals, Indiana, while on an air ambulance flight conducted under CFR part 135. The…Sep 20, 2003 · Substantial damage