Service difficulty report · Transmission · Bell 407

Difficulty date
January 4, 2020
Submitted
January 13, 2020
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N357AM
Make and model
Bell 407
Aircraft serial
54536
Aircraft time
1,713 hours, 4,364 cycles
Engine
Allsn 250C47B
Engine time
9,673 hours, 24,078 cycles
Part
Transmission
Part number
407040006107FM
Part serial
A449
Condition
Making Metal
Location
Main Rotor
Part time
6,551 hours
Stage of operation
CL
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
J
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

JUST AFTER TAKE OFF FROM THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD, DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB TO CRUISE ALTITUDE, THE XSMN CHIP CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET, AIRSPEED OF 90 KTS WITH CLIMB-OUT POWER APPLIED. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE JUST PASSING THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 33 AT GRANT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. I ENTERED A SHALLOW LEFT DESCENDING TURN AND LANDED DIRECTLY TO THE PARKING AREA. THERE WERE NO OTHER ABNORMAL INDICATIONS AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT. TOTAL ELAPSED TIME FROM TAKE OFF TO LANDING WAS 4 MINUTES. THE PATIENT AND MEDICAL STAFF TRANSITIONED TO A GROUND VEHICLE TO CONTINUE TO THE RECEIVING HOSPITAL. MAINTENANCE INSPECTED THE CHIP PLUGS AND FOUND LARGE METAL PARTICLES ON THE LOWER CHIP PLUG. THE TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *** THIS AIRCRAFT REMAINS OUT OF SERVICE AT THIS TIME AWAITING A SERVICEABLE REPLACEMENT MAIN TRANSMISSION FOR INSTALLATION. ***

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