# SAIB SW-15-04: Cabin Ventilation Air Scoop Draining

- Type: Special airworthiness information bulletin (advisory, not mandatory)
- Status: Current
- Revision: 0
- Issued: November 25, 2014
- Products: Airbus Helicopters AS-350B, AS-350B1, AS-350B2, AS-350B3, AS-350BA, AS-350C, AS-350D, AS-350D1, AS355E, AS355F, AS355F1, AS355F2 and 2 more
- Product type: Aircraft, Rotorcraft
- PDF: https://openairdocs.org/files/sha256/1c/8d/1c8d55dd0d78774b643add95ef5c2f4791ab028f9de3ab500a19b2b23fed7539
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/CB39B25C57304A1786257D9B0067973A.0001
- DRS record last changed: November 25, 2014
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/saib/SW-15-04

## Text

FAA Aviation Safety

**SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS**

INFORMATION BULLETIN SUBJ: Cabin Ventilation Air Scoop Draining SAIB: SW-15-04 Date: November 25, 2014 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin alerts owners and operators of all versions of Airbus Helicopters AS350 and AS355 helicopters of the possibility of a total loss of electrical power due to water entering into the cabin.

At this time, the airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 39.

Background

During flight, the pilot of an AS355 helicopter was splashed with water, while the source of the water could not be identified. Immediately after, the display on the Vehicle and Engine Multifunction Display (VEMD) was affected. A few days after this incident, a total loss of the electrical power system in-flight was reported and after landing it was not possible to stop the engines with the dedicated selectors. The engines were stopped using the fuel shut-off controls.

Further analysis determined that the loss of the electrical power supply was probably due to water ingress, affecting the electrical connectors of the instrument panel equipment items. This was likely caused by a partially obstructed or blocked drain of the cabin ventilation air scoop. Depending on the flight parameters (speed, attitude, rain, etc.), the water inside this scoop may ingress inside the cabin and can affect various avionics and vehicle systems.

Recommendations

Inspect the ventilation air scoop drain for blockage. Clear any blockage found.

For Further Information Contact

Matt Wilbanks, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Rotorcraft Directorate, Regulations and Policy Group, Fort Worth, Texas 76137; phone: (817) 222-5110; fax: (817) 222-5961; e-mail:

matt.wilbanks@faa.gov.

## Registered aircraft it may concern (OpenAirDocs)

Registry models matched by make and model, the same way as ADs, most registered aircraft first.

- [Airbus Helicopters AS350B3](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-as350b3): 291 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter AS 350 B3](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b3): 167 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter AS 350 B2](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b2): 146 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [American Eurocopter AS350B3](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-eurocopter-as350b3): 124 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Airbus Helicopters AS 350B3](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-as-350b3): 56 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [American Eurocopter AS350B2](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-eurocopter-as350b2): 38 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS350BA](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350ba): 18 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS350B](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350b): 13 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter AS 350 BA](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-ba): 13 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS350B2](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350b2): 11 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Airbus Helicopters AS350B2](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-as350b2): 10 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS 355F1](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as-355f1): 9 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter France AS 350 B3](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as-350-b3): 8 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter France AS350B2](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as350b2): 8 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS 355F2](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as-355f2): 6 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [S N I A S AS-350B ECUREUIL](https://openairdocs.org/model/s-n-i-a-s-as-350b-ecureuil): 5 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter/France AS355N TWINSTAR](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as355n-twinstar): 4 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS355F2 ECUREUIL](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as355f2-ecureuil): 3 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS350B1 ECUREUIL](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350b1-ecureuil): 2 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS355F TWINSTAR](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as355f-twinstar): 2 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Airbus Helicopters AS350BA](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-as350ba): 2 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Airbus Helicopters AS355N](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-as355n): 2 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter France AS350BA](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as350ba): 2 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS-355E TWIN STAR](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as-355e-twin-star): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS355N](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as355n): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Airbus Helicopter AS355F1](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopter-as355f1): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Airbus Helicopters AS355F2](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-as355f2): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter AS 355N](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-355n): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter AS350B](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as350b): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter AS355NP](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as355np): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter France AS350B](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as350b): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter France AS355F2](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as355f2): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [S N I A S AS 355F](https://openairdocs.org/model/s-n-i-a-s-as-355f): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [S N I A S AS350BA](https://openairdocs.org/model/s-n-i-a-s-as350ba): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [S N I A S AS350D ASTAR](https://openairdocs.org/model/s-n-i-a-s-as350d-astar): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS 355F](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as-355f): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS350B ECUREUIL](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350b-ecureuil): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Aerospatiale AS350D](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350d): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Airbus Helicopters AS355NP](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-as355np): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter AS350-B-1](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as350-b-1): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Eurocopter France AS355F1](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as355f1): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Helibras AS 350 B3](https://openairdocs.org/model/helibras-as-350-b3): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Helibras AS-350B2](https://openairdocs.org/model/helibras-as-350b2): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [S N I A S AS-350B2](https://openairdocs.org/model/s-n-i-a-s-as-350b2): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [S N I A S AS-350C ASTAR](https://openairdocs.org/model/s-n-i-a-s-as-350c-astar): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [S N I A S AS350B1 ECUREUIL](https://openairdocs.org/model/s-n-i-a-s-as350b1-ecureuil): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [S N I A S AS355 F2](https://openairdocs.org/model/s-n-i-a-s-as355-f2): 0 registered aircraft (airframe model)

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