What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 30, 2020 at approximately 1700 CST, N59AE, a BHT-206-L1+,
S/n 45291, located at privacy data omitted base AE-029 in Claremore, Oklahoma experienced an engine flameout shortly after entering autorotation.
While performing a post maintenance autorotation check on aircraft N59AE, the pilot initiated the autorotation by lowering the collective and rolling the throttle to the idle detent. When the pilot rolled the throttle to the idle detent, the engine flamed out. The pilot auto rotated to the ground safely. The autorotation manuever was purposefully performed as part of a planned operational system check, used to determine autorotation rotor speed. The autorotation check was performed as a typically required check in response to maintenance performed.
privacy data omitted Thoroughly inspected the aircraft in attempt to
Determine cause of the flame out. The checks and the conditions they
Noted are as follows:
1. Visually inspect the main fuel tank as it sits now, to see if the fuel level is above or below the tops of the fuel boost pump canisters. (Level was above canisters)
2. Drain ext fuel filter into container and measure ccs. (500CC?s drained)
3. Remove and inspect ext fuel filter for abnormal debris. (None noted)
4. Remove line at fuel nozzle and inspect for fuel. (Fuel present)
5. Collect fuel samples from 3 tanks. Report findings. (No defects noted, clear and bright)
6. Bleed fuel system at fuel nozzle until clear and steady. (Done)
7. Flow check line at nozzle using procedure in roll royce csl 3142 2.b.(3). (No defects noted)
8. Disassemble nozzle and inspect internal filter. (No defects noted)
9. Check engine throttle rigging. (No defects noted. Rigging is correct hitting high stop, low stop, and lining up properly with the rig pin hole at idle)
10. Perform pc system leak check. (No defects noted)
11. Remove and inspect pc system lines and filter for debris, cracks or damage. (No defects noted)
12. Remove fuel line from fuel shutoff valve and operate valve to open position and verify that the valve opens fully. (No defects noted)
13. Drain fuel tanks. Remove and inspect boost pump panel for condition of umbrella valves and condition overall. As system is disassembled, check for any loose b-nuts on any connections before removal. (No defects noted)
14. Remove and inspect manifold valve for condition and debris. (No defects noted)
15. Remove and inspect check valves and screens for transfer pump system. (No defects noted)
16. Inspect engine combustion liner. (Found several cracks in liner, replaced liner)
17. Inspected inlet/compressor vanes/blades. (No defects noted)
18. Ran acft for 1HR. Performed multiple aggressive snap decels to flight idle per the C30 manual and Bell mm table 5-46 chapter 5. (No defects noted)
The maintenance crew performed trouble-shooting of the aircraft,
Examining the engine, fuel system, fuel cell, etc., and could not
Replicate the engine flame-out occurrence nor determine a cause.
privacy data omitted Decided to
1. Replaced governor. (Sent to keystone for testing.)(the results were not available at the time of the submital of this report).
2. Replace fuel control. (Sent the replaced unit keystone for flow testing.)( the results were not available at the time of the submital of this report).
3. Replaced tail rotor gear box for chip and oil leakage after ground runs.
The cause of the engine flameout could not be determined. N59AE was returned to service on 9/11/2020.
If any further information is received, the atqa report will be amended at that time.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 30, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 CST, N59AE, A BHT-206-L1+,
S/N 45291, LOCATED AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BASE AE-029 IN CLAREMORE, OKLAHOMA EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FLAMEOUT SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING AUTOROTATION.
WHILE PERFORMING A POST MAINTENANCE AUTOROTATION CHECK ON AIRCRAFT N59AE, THE PILOT INITIATED THE AUTOROTATION BY LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE AND ROLLING THE THROTTLE TO THE IDLE DETENT. WHEN THE PILOT ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO THE IDLE DETENT, THE ENGINE FLAMED OUT. THE PILOT AUTO ROTATED TO THE GROUND SAFELY. THE AUTOROTATION MANUEVER WAS PURPOSEFULLY PERFORMED AS PART OF A PLANNED OPERATIONAL SYSTEM CHECK, USED TO DETERMINE AUTOROTATION ROTOR SPEED. THE AUTOROTATION CHECK WAS PERFORMED AS A TYPICALLY REQUIRED CHECK IN RESPONSE TO MAINTENANCE PERFORMED.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT IN ATTEMPT TO
DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE FLAME OUT. THE CHECKS AND THE CONDITIONS THEY
NOTED ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. VISUALLY INSPECT THE MAIN FUEL TANK AS IT SITS NOW, TO SEE IF THE FUEL LEVEL IS ABOVE OR BELOW THE TOPS OF THE FUEL BOOST PUMP CANISTERS. (LEVEL WAS ABOVE CANISTERS)
2. DRAIN EXT FUEL FILTER INTO CONTAINER AND MEASURE CCS. (500CC?S DRAINED)
3. REMOVE AND INSPECT EXT FUEL FILTER FOR ABNORMAL DEBRIS. (NONE NOTED)
4. REMOVE LINE AT FUEL NOZZLE AND INSPECT FOR FUEL. (FUEL PRESENT)
5. COLLECT FUEL SAMPLES FROM 3 TANKS. REPORT FINDINGS. (NO DEFECTS NOTED, CLEAR AND BRIGHT)
6. BLEED FUEL SYSTEM AT FUEL NOZZLE UNTIL CLEAR AND STEADY. (DONE)
7. FLOW CHECK LINE AT NOZZLE USING PROCEDURE IN ROLL ROYCE CSL 3142 2.B.(3). (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
8. DISASSEMBLE NOZZLE AND INSPECT INTERNAL FILTER. (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
9. CHECK ENGINE THROTTLE RIGGING. (NO DEFECTS NOTED. RIGGING IS CORRECT HITTING HIGH STOP, LOW STOP, AND LINING UP PROPERLY WITH THE RIG PIN HOLE AT IDLE)
10. PERFORM PC SYSTEM LEAK CHECK. (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
11. REMOVE AND INSPECT PC SYSTEM LINES AND FILTER FOR DEBRIS, CRACKS OR DAMAGE. (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
12. REMOVE FUEL LINE FROM FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE AND OPERATE VALVE TO OPEN POSITION AND VERIFY THAT THE VALVE OPENS FULLY. (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
13. DRAIN FUEL TANKS. REMOVE AND INSPECT BOOST PUMP PANEL FOR CONDITION OF UMBRELLA VALVES AND CONDITION OVERALL. AS SYSTEM IS DISASSEMBLED, CHECK FOR ANY LOOSE B-NUTS ON ANY CONNECTIONS BEFORE REMOVAL. (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
14. REMOVE AND INSPECT MANIFOLD VALVE FOR CONDITION AND DEBRIS. (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
15. REMOVE AND INSPECT CHECK VALVES AND SCREENS FOR TRANSFER PUMP SYSTEM. (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
16. INSPECT ENGINE COMBUSTION LINER. (FOUND SEVERAL CRACKS IN LINER, REPLACED LINER)
17. INSPECTED INLET/COMPRESSOR VANES/BLADES. (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
18. RAN ACFT FOR 1HR. PERFORMED MULTIPLE AGGRESSIVE SNAP DECELS TO FLIGHT IDLE PER THE C30 MANUAL AND BELL MM TABLE 5-46 CHAPTER 5. (NO DEFECTS NOTED)
THE MAINTENANCE CREW PERFORMED TROUBLE-SHOOTING OF THE AIRCRAFT,
EXAMINING THE ENGINE, FUEL SYSTEM, FUEL CELL, ETC., AND COULD NOT
REPLICATE THE ENGINE FLAME-OUT OCCURRENCE NOR DETERMINE A CAUSE.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECIDED TO
1. REPLACED GOVERNOR. (SENT TO KEYSTONE FOR TESTING.)(THE RESULTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE SUBMITAL OF THIS REPORT).
2. REPLACE FUEL CONTROL. (SENT THE REPLACED UNIT KEYSTONE FOR FLOW TESTING.)( THE RESULTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE SUBMITAL OF THIS REPORT).
3. REPLACED TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX FOR CHIP AND OIL LEAKAGE AFTER GROUND RUNS.
THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FLAMEOUT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. N59AE WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE ON 9/11/2020.
IF ANY FURTHER INFORMATION IS RECEIVED, THE ATQA REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AT THAT TIME.
Other reports on N59AE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.