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20120915021309A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Aerospatiale AS 355F1 · West Windsor, NJ · September 15, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 15, 2012 · 12:00 local
Place
West Windsor, NJ
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N58020
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA12FA563
Reported as
Aerospatiale AS 355F1
Reported engine
Allison 250-C20F
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
11,115 total2,100 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N58020Registration cancelled Jun 30, 2017 · Aerospatiale AS 355F1S/N 5227Airframe modelAerospatiale AS 355F1Engine modelAllison 250-C20FTurbo-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 15, 2012, about 1200 eastern daylight time, an Aerospatiale as 355F1, N58020, operated by analar corporation, was destroyed when it impacted terrain following an in-flight separation of the rotorhead near West Windsor, new jersey. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The positioning flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight to atlantic city international airport (acy), atlantic city, new jersey. The flight originated from princeton airport (39N), princeton, new jersey, about 1155. A postcrash fire consumed a majority of the helicopter. The rotorhead had separated and was located about 100 yards south of the main wreckage. The entire yellow main rotor blade had separated from the rotorhead and was later recovered about 270 yards southeast of the main wreckage. Further investigation revealed failure of the internal threads of the rod end fitting of the for/aft servo actuators.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2012, ABOUT 1200 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS 355F1, N58020, OPERATED BY ANALAR CORPORATION, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE ROTORHEAD NEAR WEST WINDSOR, NEW JERSEY. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE POSITIONING FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT TO ATLANTIC CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ACY), ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PRINCETON AIRPORT (39N), PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY, ABOUT 1155. A POSTCRASH FIRE CONSUMED A MAJORITY OF THE HELICOPTER. THE ROTORHEAD HAD SEPARATED AND WAS LOCATED ABOUT 100 YARDS SOUTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE ENTIRE YELLOW MAIN ROTOR BLADE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ROTORHEAD AND WAS LATER RECOVERED ABOUT 270 YARDS SOUTHEAST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED FAILURE OF THE INTERNAL THREADS OF THE ROD END FITTING OF THE FOR/AFT SERVO ACTUATORS.

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 ERA12FA563Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportWest Windsor, NJDisconnection of the upper rod end from the fore/aft servo due to severely worn threads, which resulted in a loss of control and separation of a main rotor blade during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident were incorrect maintenance procedures and…Sep 15, 2012 · Substantial damage