20150220006439A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Agusta Aerospace AW119 MKII · Houma, LA · February 20, 2015

Date: February 20, 2015 · 07:20 local
Place: Houma, LA
Airport: Houma
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: U0GA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N802SM
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15LA156
Reported as: Agusta Aerospace AW119 Mkii
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,440 total898 in this make and model112 in the last 90 days

N802SMRegistered now · Agusta Aerospace AW119 MKIIS/N 14711 Airframe modelAgusta Aerospace AW119 MKII

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.

Pilot experienced uncommanded left yaw of a/c in cruise flight approx 8 miles n of offshore destination. Pilot executed an emergency flight to Houma Airport (hum). He performed a running landing without further incident. After shutdown, one of the t/r pitch change links was discovered to have broken.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT EXPERIENCED UNCOMMANDED LEFT YAW OF A/C IN CRUISE FLIGHT APPROX 8 MILES N OF OFFSHORE DESTINATION. PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY FLIGHT TO HOUMA AIRPORT (HUM). HE PERFORMED A RUNNING LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER SHUTDOWN, ONE OF THE T/R PITCH CHANGE LINKS WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE BROKEN.

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 CEN15LA156Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGulf of MexicoThe fracture of the tail rotor pitch change link due to excessive bearing rotational friction, which resulted from the bearings being installed in exceedance of the maximum allowable torque during the last overhaul of the pitch change link.Feb 20, 2015 · Substantial damage