20130614010229I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Eurocopter Deutschland MBB-BK 117 C-2 · Houston, TX · June 14, 2013

Date
June 14, 2013 · 22:40 local
Place
Houston, TX
Airport
John S. Dunn Helistop
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
GVNA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N452MH
Reported as
Eurocopter Deutschland MBB-BK 117 C-2
Reported engine
Turbomeca ARRIEL
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
5,563 total1,863 in this make and model49 in the last 90 days

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.

Aircraft took off from the John S. Dunn Helistop (38TE) on a 14 CFR part 91 reposition flight to the west base. After liftoff the crew reported a strong smell of fuel in the cabin. The PIC notified life flight dispatch the aircraft was returning back to the Helistop. While on final approach the right engine (# 2) fire light temporarily illuminated several times. After landing the pilot did an emergency shutdown and had the crew evacuate the aircraft. A small fire was observed in the engine cowling but quickly went out. The fire extinguisher system was not discharged. The right engine cowling top, aft, inboard area was found to be scorched and the rear bearing oil supply line had black oily soot covering it. No other damage was observed.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM THE JOHN S. DUNN HELISTOP (38TE) ON A 14 CFR PART 91 REPOSITION FLIGHT TO THE WEST BASE. AFTER LIFTOFF THE CREW REPORTED A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IN THE CABIN. THE PIC NOTIFIED LIFE FLIGHT DISPATCH THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING BACK TO THE HELISTOP. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH THE RIGHT ENGINE (# 2) FIRE LIGHT TEMPORARILY ILLUMINATED SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER LANDING THE PILOT DID AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN AND HAD THE CREW EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT. A SMALL FIRE WAS OBSERVED IN THE ENGINE COWLING BUT QUICKLY WENT OUT. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER SYSTEM WAS NOT DISCHARGED. THE RIGHT ENGINE COWLING TOP, AFT, INBOARD AREA WAS FOUND TO BE SCORCHED AND THE REAR BEARING OIL SUPPLY LINE HAD BLACK OILY SOOT COVERING IT. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED.