# Accident 20120915021309A: Aerospatiale AS 355F1, West Windsor, NJ, September 15, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 15, 2012, 12:00 local time
- Place: West Windsor, NJ
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.3000° N, 74.6686° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.3000&lon=-74.6686&mi=10
- Aircraft: N58020, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N58020-2017-06-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale AS 355F1 (registry code 8680810, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as-355f1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20F (registry code 03087, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20f) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSPATIALE AS 355F1
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C20F
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 11,115 total, 2,100 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12FA563](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA563) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120915021309A

## Narrative

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

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA12FA563](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA563), Sep 15, 2012: Aerospatiale AS 355F1 (N58020), West Windsor, NJ, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: Disconnection 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…

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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