Service difficulty report · Turbine Wheel · Snias AS350BA

Difficulty date
October 5, 2010
Submitted
January 4, 2011
Operation
Air carrier
Make and model
Snias AS350BA
Aircraft time
4,073 hours
Engine
Tmeca ARRIEL1B
Part
Turbine Wheel
Part number
70BM031090
Condition
Inoperative
Location
1st Stage
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
V
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
E

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

PILOT DROPPED OFF PASSENGERS FOR LUNCH AFTER FIRST FLIGHT THEN PROCEEDED TO AIRPORT TO REFUEL. PILOT RETURNED TO PICK UP PASSENGERS. AFTER LOADING, THE PILOT TRIED TO START THE ACFT. START SOUNDED NORMAL AND IGNITED BUT ONLY GOT UP TO 500 DEGREES AND ABOUT 10 PERCENT NG AND ENGINE "HUNG" THERE AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. PILOT IMMEDIATELY ABORTED START AND CALLED MX. PILOT ALLOWED ENGINE TO COOL THEN TRIED ANOTHER START WITH SAME RESULT. ENGINEER ARRIVED AND ANOTHER START WAS ATTEMPTED BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT EVEN ROLLOVER. ENGINEER REMOVED STARTER/GEN WHICH SEEMED FINE. TAIL ROTOR AND MAIN ROTOR TURNED FINE. ENGINEER PULLED INTAKE TO THE COMPRESSOR TO CHECK FOR FOD. HE NOTICED NO DAMAGE TO THE COMPRESSOR BUT WHILE TRYING TO TURN THE COMPRESSOR HE COULD ONLY GET MOVEMENT IN THE BACKWARDS DIRECTION AND IT MADE A BAD GRINDING NOISE BUT WOULD NOT TURN IN THE FWD DIRECTION WHATSOEVER. ACFT WAS GROUNDED AND TRUCKED TO MX BASE. INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.