ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 230462
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| Date: | Monday 31 July 2017 |
| Time: | 08:04 LT |
| Type: |  Aérospatiale AS 350B1 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Butterfly srl |
| Registration: | I-CSAM |
| MSN: | 2233 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1989 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Etna Golf Club Helipad, Costigliole di Sicilia, CT -
 Italy
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Etna Golf Club |
| Palermo | |
| Investigating agency: | ANSV |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During the first flight of the day, while taking off in VFR from a grassy apron located at "Il Picciolo Etna Golf" for an operational transfer to Palermo, the pilot experienced a sudden drop in power, which required an abrupt landing a few meters from the takeoff point.
Following the hard landing, on a slightly sloping grass surface, strong vibrations started to occur, leading to the impact of the main rotor blades on the ground (blade strike) and the detachment of the main transmission and the engine unit, causing damage to the whole structure and mechanics of the helicopter.
Two of the three occupants suffered minor injuries and contusions. They were examined at the emergency room without being hospitalized.
The cause of the accident was probably due to the fact that the helicopter's power output was not compatible with the pilot's request to allow a smooth transition from HIGE to HOGE. In this context, the following factors reasonably contributed to the occurrence of the event.
- The engine, although nominally capable of providing the necessary power for the day conditions, showed a number of limitations due to contamination of the FCU and loss of pressure from P2 duct, which affected its performance.
- The environmental conditions (high altitude and high temperature), together with the declared takeoff mass, which was just below the maximum mass of the helicopter under the above conditions, negatively affected the engine's ability to provide the maximum power required.
- The possibility that the pilot may have unintentionally accelerated the helicopter, perhaps to counteract the effects of wind gusts, exceeding the maximum power output of the engine.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
http://www.google.it/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=28&ved=2ahUKEwiW6eX7htnlAhXIwsQBHf1fC8wQFjAbegQIABAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.volareflyfree.com%2Felicotteri-incidentati.html&usg=AOvVaw3d7ymNmZbYlNoebDGb9R0b
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Nov-2019 06:45 | astazou | Added |
| 08-Nov-2019 06:46 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 16-Jan-2022 18:32 | harro | Updated [Time, Operator, Total occupants, Nature, Destination airport, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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