- Date
- June 15, 1992, 13:02 local (17:02 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Bragg, NC
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N365DUAerospatiale AS-355-F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920615022139A
- Case key
- 8512
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The total blockage of the oil supply line for the rear main bearing in engine module three which resulted in the failure of the bearing, and the subsequent leak from the engine start drain valve.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The air ambulance helicopter was enroute to pick up a patient when the pilot observed the engine fire light illuminate, followed by smoke entering the cabin area. The flight crew executed an emergency landing at the nearby simmons army airfield at Fort Bragg, north carolina. Examination revealed that the oil supply line for the bearing was blocked with carbon and the rear bearing in the number three module had failed. The engine start fuel valve began leaking fuel as a result of loss of torque on connecting bolts due to engine vibration. The start fuel valve was located directly above the engine starter/generator. There had been an extensive fire in the number one engine compartment originating in the area of the starter/generator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N365DU
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS-355-F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6102
- Airframe hours
- 4,638
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARRIEL 1C, 700 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Omniflight Helicopters
- Registered owner
- State Street Bank & Trust Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 11, 1992 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- ND92 · Durham, NC
- Destination
- NONE · Lumberton, NC
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,347 total · 5,693 as pilot in command · 73 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAY, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.