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20140307002859I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Sikorsky S-76C · Bucyrus, OH · March 7, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 7, 2014 · 20:00 local
Place
Bucyrus, OH
Airport
Bucyrus
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
VE7A
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N761P
Reported as
Sikorsky S-76C
Reported engine
Turbomeca ARRIEL-2S1
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
5,300 total1,770 in this make and model25 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 was stable in cruise flight when the pilots and crew heard and felt a bang and felt the aircraft shudder. After the initial event there was no further vibration of indication of a problem. The crew discussed the possibility of performing a precautionary landing. While discussing the need for a precautionary landing, the #2 engine fire-light illuminated. The crew declared an emergency, secured the #2 engine, and proceeded to complete an emergency landing at Bucyrus Airport (17G).

The landing and shutdown were uneventful.

The resulting damage to the aircraft includes a 1 inch hole in one of the main rotor blades (red), fiberglass and sheet metal damage to the aft engine cowling.

The aircraft manufacturer's evaluation of the damage indicates that the damage to one of the main rotor blades is beyond the limits for field repair.

Although the damage is repairable without scrapping the main rotor blade, it will require a specialized service for repair. The NTSB initially reviewed this damage along with a review of the manufacturer's recommendations for repair and determined that the damage is substantial indicating that the event should be classified as an accident.

After further review, the NTSB notified the FSDO that they have reversed their evaluation and classified the damage not substantial. This event has been reclassified as an incident 05/21/2014 - jld.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS STABLE IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN THE PILOTS AND CREW HEARD AND FELT A BANG AND FELT THE AIRCRAFT SHUDDER. AFTER THE INITIAL EVENT THERE WAS NO FURTHER VIBRATION OF INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. THE CREW DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF PERFORMING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. WHILE DISCUSSING THE NEED FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, THE #2 ENGINE FIRE-LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, SECURED THE #2 ENGINE, AND PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT BUCYRUS AIRPORT (17G).

THE LANDING AND SHUTDOWN WERE UNEVENTFUL.

THE RESULTING DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDES A 1 INCH HOLE IN ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES (RED), FIBERGLASS AND SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO THE AFT ENGINE COWLING.

THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER'S EVALUATION OF THE DAMAGE INDICATES THAT THE DAMAGE TO ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES IS BEYOND THE LIMITS FOR FIELD REPAIR.

ALTHOUGH THE DAMAGE IS REPAIRABLE WITHOUT SCRAPPING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE, IT WILL REQUIRE A SPECIALIZED SERVICE FOR REPAIR. THE NTSB INITIALLY REVIEWED THIS DAMAGE ALONG WITH A REVIEW OF THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REPAIR AND DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE IS SUBSTANTIAL INDICATING THAT THE EVENT SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT.

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW, THE NTSB NOTIFIED THE FSDO THAT THEY HAVE REVERSED THEIR EVALUATION AND CLASSIFIED THE DAMAGE NOT SUBSTANTIAL. THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RECLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT 05/21/2014 - JLD.