# Accident 20220924011169A: Agustawestland Philadelphia AW139, Houma, LA, September 24, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 24, 2022, 18:20 local time
- Place: Houma, LA
- Airport: Houma-Terrebonne
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: U0GA
- Location: 29.5665° N, 90.6604° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5665&lon=-90.6604&mi=10
- Aircraft: N811TA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N811TA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Agustawestland Philadelphia AW139 (registry code 0260400, https://openairdocs.org/model/agustawestland-philadelphia-aw139) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67C (registry code 52174, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6c-67c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AGUSTAWESTLAND PHILADELPHIA AW139
- People aboard: 6
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,160 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN22LA430](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA430) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220924011169A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT WAS INBOUND TO THE HOUMA AIRPORT FROM AN OFFSHORE OIL PLATFORM WITH 4 PASSANGERS AND 2 PILOTS.

PILOTS BEGAN THEIR INITIAL DECENT FROM 4500 FEET TO 500 FEET.

PASSANGERS AND CREW NOTICED A PLASTIC BURNING SMELL WHEN THEY STARTED THEIR DECENT.

NO VISABLE SMOKE WAS NOTICED AT THE TIME.

PILOTS TURNED OFF THE AC SYSTEM.

APPROXIMATELY 60 TO 90 SECONDS AFTER THE BURNING PLASTIC SMELL, THE CREW AND PASSANGERS HEARD A LOUD WHOOF FOLLOWED BY THE COCKPIT FILLING WITH SMOKE FROM THE OVERHEAD CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL.

WITHIN 3 TO 5 SECONDS THE COCKPIT WAS FILLED WITH BROWN/ORANGE SMOKE WITH ZERO VISABILITY FOR THE CREW.

AT THE SAME TIME THE ROTOR LOW VERBAL WARNING WAS HEARD IN THE HEADSETS OF THE PILOTS ALONG WITH RAPID OVERSPEED OF BOTH ENGINES COMBINED WITH A SUDDDEN AND IMMEDIATE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE COLLECTIVE AS WELL AS AN AFT LEFT MOVEMENT OF THE CYCLIC RESULTING IN THE ROTOR SPEED OF APPROXMEIMATELY 83% AND A CLIMB RATE IN EXCESS OF 800 FEET PER MINUTE.

THE LEFT SEAT PILOT PULLED THE WINDOW OFF THE DOOR TO VENT THE SMOKE.

COLLECTIVE PITCH WAS PUSHED TO THE FULL DOWN POSITION.

THE CYCLIC WAS FORCEFULLY PUSHED TO THE FORWARD AND RIGHT POSITION.

ENGINES WERE CYCLED FROM FLY MODE TO IDLE TO CONTROL DECENT.

PILOTS MADE A RUN ON HARD LANDING AT THE HOUMA AIRPORT.

ONE MINOR INJURY WAS REPORTED BY A PASSENGER.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN22LA430](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA430), Sep 24, 2022: Agusta AW139 (N811TA), Houma, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inflight loss of collective control of the helicopter due to thermal damage of a collective control torque tube that abraded with misrouted electrical wiring, which resulted in an electrical…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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