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20230609005009I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 · Saraland, AL · June 9, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 9, 2023 · 15:25 local
Place
Saraland, AL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
EVCA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N192AE
Reported as
Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,995 total
N192AERegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45660Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1

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.

At approximately 1500 CDT on June 9, 2023, during a helicopter air ambulance patient transfer from choctaw, AL toprivacy data omitted in mobile, AL, the aircraft experienced a complete loss of electrical power. Prior to the event while en route to privacy data omitted hospital, the PIC received his transponder squawk code from mobile approach at 23 nautical miles (NM) out. At 18NM from privacy data omitted hospital the PIC attempted to contact approach to ensure they had made radar contact, at this time the PIC realized there was no radio tone. The PIC then attempted to contact the medical crew through the interphone system, but it was also inoperative. The aircraft squawk code was then changed to 7600 to signify a loss of communications. The PIC made an unsuccessful attempt to troubleshoot before noticing the loss of navigation, followed by flickering of the primary flight display, multi-function displays and a voltmeter indication of 8.6 volts. The PIC attempted to squawk 7700 to indicate an emergency on-board but was unable due to the complete loss of electrical power. One unsuccessful attempt to reset the generator switch was made before the PIC located a large field to suitable for a precautionary landing. All non-essential electrical equipment was switched off and the aircraft landed safely. No further damage or injuries resulted from this incident.

Maintenance personnel replaced a faulty generator control unit (gcu) and the aircraft was approved for return to service on June 11, 2023. A service difficulty report was submitted for the failed gcu on June 13, 2023.

The PIC stated in an interview that the gen fail (generator fail) annunciator illuminated in preflight testing but did not do so in flight as a result of the faulty gcu. With no gen fail indication, the PIC was unaware that the gcu had failed, thus the aircraft was operating on battery power for an unknown amount of time. Post flight checks of the battery did not indicate any defects. The cause for the gen fail annunciator failing to illuminate is currently unknown. At this time it is unsure why the battery did not provide the backup power. This report will be amended if further determination is made.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 CDT ON JUNE 9, 2023, DURING A HELICOPTER AIR AMBULANCE PATIENT TRANSFER FROM CHOCTAW, AL TO^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN MOBILE, AL, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. PRIOR TO THE EVENT WHILE EN ROUTE TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HOSPITAL, THE PIC RECEIVED HIS TRANSPONDER SQUAWK CODE FROM MOBILE APPROACH AT 23 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) OUT. AT 18NM FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HOSPITAL THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APPROACH TO ENSURE THEY HAD MADE RADAR CONTACT, AT THIS TIME THE PIC REALIZED THERE WAS NO RADIO TONE. THE PIC THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE MEDICAL CREW THROUGH THE INTERPHONE SYSTEM, BUT IT WAS ALSO INOPERATIVE. THE AIRCRAFT SQUAWK CODE WAS THEN CHANGED TO 7600 TO SIGNIFY A LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS. THE PIC MADE AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO TROUBLESHOOT BEFORE NOTICING THE LOSS OF NAVIGATION, FOLLOWED BY FLICKERING OF THE PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY, MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAYS AND A VOLTMETER INDICATION OF 8.6 VOLTS. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO SQUAWK 7700 TO INDICATE AN EMERGENCY ON-BOARD BUT WAS UNABLE DUE TO THE COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. ONE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO RESET THE GENERATOR SWITCH WAS MADE BEFORE THE PIC LOCATED A LARGE FIELD TO SUITABLE FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. ALL NON-ESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT WAS SWITCHED OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY. NO FURTHER DAMAGE OR INJURIES RESULTED FROM THIS INCIDENT.

MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REPLACED A FAULTY GENERATOR CONTROL UNIT (GCU) AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SERVICE ON JUNE 11, 2023. A SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORT WAS SUBMITTED FOR THE FAILED GCU ON JUNE 13, 2023.

THE PIC STATED IN AN INTERVIEW THAT THE GEN FAIL (GENERATOR FAIL) ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED IN PREFLIGHT TESTING BUT DID NOT DO SO IN FLIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE FAULTY GCU. WITH NO GEN FAIL INDICATION, THE PIC WAS UNAWARE THAT THE GCU HAD FAILED, THUS THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING ON BATTERY POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME. POST FLIGHT CHECKS OF THE BATTERY DID NOT INDICATE ANY DEFECTS. THE CAUSE FOR THE GEN FAIL ANNUNCIATOR FAILING TO ILLUMINATE IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN. AT THIS TIME IT IS UNSURE WHY THE BATTERY DID NOT PROVIDE THE BACKUP POWER. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED IF FURTHER DETERMINATION IS MADE.