Service difficulty report · Unknown · Urocop EC135P1

Difficulty date
September 23, 2023
Submitted
September 25, 2023
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N102HN
Make and model
Urocop EC135P1
Aircraft serial
0159
Aircraft time
12,028 hours, 42,682 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW206B
Engine time
11,397 hours, 7,679 cycles
Part
Unknown
Part number
UNKNOWN
Condition
Unknown
Location
Unknown
Stage of operation
AP
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
J
Precautionary procedure
D

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

What was found

DEPARTED BASE AT 1254 TO CAMDEN CLARK FOR PATIENT TRANSFER TO RUBY. APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY TO CAMDEN GOT #2 ENG MANUAL AND FADEC FAIL CAUTION LIGHTS AND MINOR SPLIT IN FLI 1/2 NEEDLES. TOLD THE CREW ABOUT THE CAUTIONS AND INFORMED THEM THAT THIS IS NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM. INFORMED THEM THAT WE WOULD NOT BE LANDING AT CAMDEN AND WILL BE GOING TO KPKB. NURSE ASKED IF RETURNING TO BASE WAS AN OPTION (I18) AND DETERMINED THAT WAS A BETTER OPTION. INDICATIONS WERE STILL WITHIN LIMITS (NR/TQ/TOT/N1) WITH A MINOR SPLIT IN 1/2 FLI NEEDLES. INITIATED A LEFT HAND TURN BACK TO BASE, SLOWED AIRSPEED TO APPROXIMATELY 100KIAS, AND ENGAGED NAV/ALT WHILE MEDIC CALLED MED BASE AND INFORMED THEM OF SITUATION. WHEN ESTABLISHED IN STABLE FLIGHT REGIME HEADING BACK TO BASE, HANDED MEDIC THE CHECKLIST AND ASKED HIM TO FIND FADEC FAILURE TO CONFIRM EP BEFORE MOVING ANY TWIST GRIPS. MYSELF AND MEDIC READ/TALKED THROUGH EMERGENCY PROCEDURE. CONFIRMED #2 FADEC FAILURE BY VERIFYING #2 CAUTION SEGMENTS AND COLLECTIVE CHANGES/NEEDLE MOVEMENT. IDENTIFIED #2 TWIST GRIP, PRESSED IDLE STOP RELEASE, AND DECREASED TWIST GRIP TO SET #2 ENGINE N1 TO 80%. CONTINUED FLIGHT TO I18 AND BRIEFED CREW THAT WE WILL BE MAINTAINING SINGLE ENGINE AIRSPEED AND SHOOTING THE APPROACH TO RNWY 22 IN A SINGLE ENGINE/RUN ON LANDING PROFILE, IN CASE #2 ENGINE DETERIORATED. EXECUTED APPROACH AND AS DECELERATING TO A HOVER THE FLI NEEDLES SPLIT AND GOT A LIMIT LIGHT AND AUDIBLE “GONG”. #1 NEEDLE HAD EXCEEDED 12 FLI, BUT DID NOT SEE IT ABOVE 20 SECOND LIMIT “DOT”. REMAINED IN THIS RANGE FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 SECONDS. REDUCED COLLECTIVE AND POWER STABILIZED IN 2.5 MINUTE OEI RANGE AND LIMIT LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. HOVERING WITH A RIGHT CROSSWIND, APPLIED LEFT PEDAL TO TURN AND GOT LIMIT/”GONG” BELOW “DOT” FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 SECOND. DECIDED TO HOVER TO PARKING IN OEI, WAS ABLE TO ALTERNATE BELOW OEI MAX CONTINUOUS AND INTO 2.5 MINUTE OEI LIMIT, SO DID NOT MAKE ANY #2 ENGINE TWIST GRIP ADJUSTMENTS. I KNEW I WAS UNDER OEI OPERATION LIMITS BECAUSE HAD 24% TORQUE INDICATED ON #2 ENGINE, NO LIMIT LIGHT OR “GONG” WHEN OPERATING OVER AEO MAXIMUM TAKE OFF POWER, AND HAD 2.5 MINUTE COUNT DOWN PRESENT WHEN OVER OEI CONTINUOUS POWER LIMIT. HOVERED INTO PARKING AND HAD 1 MINUTE 9 SECONDS LEFT IN OEI RANGE WHEN STARTED LANDING ON DOLLY. COMPLETED LANDING APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS LATER. RETARDED #2 TWIST GRIP TO IDLE AS LOWERING COLLECTIVE THEN COMPLETED ACFT SHUTDOWN.

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