ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 135045
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| Date: | Tuesday 10 January 2006 |
| Time: | 08:45 |
| Type: |  Aerospatiale AS 350BA Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Sunshine Helicopters, Inc. |
| Registration: | N3607P |
| MSN: | 1249 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 14007 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Manawainui Gulch, near Mount Haleakala, Maui, HI -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Kahului, HI (KOGG) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
While flying a sightseeing tour over a dense tropical forest the helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power and autorotated into the forest canopy. Forty-four minutes into a 1-hour sightseeing tour the helicopter vibrated, shuddered, and the low rotor rpm warning horn sounded. The pilot entered an autorotation and tried to arrest the helicopter's forward velocity before settling into the treetops. The helicopter dropped nose first towards the forest floor, and came to rest on its right side suspended in the trees a few feet from the ground. During the subsequent engine examination it was determined that a turbine blade from the second stage gas producer turbine had separated from the turbine wheel. A material laboratory analysis determined that the turbine blade failure was a result of a fatigue fracture that was initiated at a corrosion/oxidation pit. As a result of the investigation into the engine failure, the engine manufacturer has reduced the life limit of the second stage turbine blades from 6,000 hours to 3,000 hours, and implemented additional turbine inspection criteria.
Probable Cause: The total loss of engine power due to a fatigue failure of a turbine blade. A factor in the accident was the lack of a suitable forced landing site.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20060113X00077&key=1
FAA register: 2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N3607P
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Jul-2014 19:37 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Jul-2014 19:39 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 05-Dec-2017 09:01 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Jan-2020 17:23 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source] |
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