ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 286402
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| Date: | Sunday 6 December 2009 |
| Time: | 10:30 LT |
| Type: |  Aerospatiale AS 355F1 |
| Owner/operator: | Heliusa Airways Inc |
| Registration: | N548SA |
| MSN: | 5167 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1982 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 7390 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C20 SER |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Temple Bar, Arizona -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Las Vegas-Harry Reid International Airport, NV (LAS/KLAS) |
| Grand Canyon, AZ | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that after arriving to work late he began his preflight inspection on the helicopter. As the pilot was inspecting the left engine, the refueling truck arrived and the pilot lowered the left engine cowling door and tended to the refueling of the helicopter. The pilot said that following the refueling of the helicopter, he continued his preflight inspection and subsequently boarded the passengers 'not realizing I left the engine cowling ‘unlatched'.†While en route to the flight's intended destination, the pilot heard a 'pop†followed by feedback in the cyclic control. The pilot was informed by the pilot of a second helicopter that the left engine cowling appeared to be open and partially separated. The pilot initiated a precautionary landing to the desert surface and landed without further incident. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that two of the three main rotor blades were damaged. One main rotor blade exhibited a one-inch-long gouge about one-quarter of an inch in depth near the blade root. A portion of the left engine cowling was separated and not located.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention during the preflight inspection.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB WPR10LA075
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 11 July 2020 | N708AC | Aircam National Helicopter Services Inc | 0 | near Rifle, Garfield County, CO | |
w/o |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Oct-2022 10:14 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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