20130118002179I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E · Lawrenceville, GA · January 18, 2013

Date: January 18, 2013 · 10:24 local
Place: Lawrenceville, GA
Airport: Klzu
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: 110A
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N507TV
Reported as: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
Reported engine: Allison 250-C20 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,268 total27 in the last 90 days

N507TVRegistered now · Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369ES/N 0226E Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed torque fluctuations. At approx. 20 minutes into flight,the pilot noticed increased N2 fluctuations. At this point the pilot diverted to the closest airport, Klzu. Approx. 2MILES from the airport the fuel filter bypass light illuminated, a condition that requires the pilot to land as soon as possible. The landing was made without the need of fire trucks or emergency vehicles. An evaluation of the fuel system revealed a damaged line from the sending unit to the fuel filter.

The line was replaced, a ground run was conducted and the flight was resumed following a forty minute test flight.

A SDR has been filed by the director of maintenance.

As the FAA filed it

APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED TORQUE FLUCTUATIONS. AT APPROX. 20 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT,THE PILOT NOTICED INCREASED N2 FLUCTUATIONS. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT DIVERTED TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT, KLZU. APPROX. 2MILES FROM THE AIRPORT THE FUEL FILTER BYPASS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, A CONDITION THAT REQUIRES THE PILOT TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE LANDING WAS MADE WITHOUT THE NEED OF FIRE TRUCKS OR EMERGENCY VEHICLES. AN EVALUATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED A DAMAGED LINE FROM THE SENDING UNIT TO THE FUEL FILTER.

THE LINE WAS REPLACED, A GROUND RUN WAS CONDUCTED AND THE FLIGHT WAS RESUMED FOLLOWING A FORTY MINUTE TEST FLIGHT.

A SDR HAS BEEN FILED BY THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE.