ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 77762
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| Date: | Friday 14 January 2000 |
| Time: | 16:55 |
| Type: |  Agusta A109E Power |
| Owner/operator: | Perment Ltd |
| Registration: | G-JRSL |
| MSN: | 11036 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1998 |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney 206C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Wheelsgate Farm, Washington Lane, Romney Marsh, Kent -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Hayes, Middlesex |
| Lydd Airport, Ashford, Kent (LYX/EGMD) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off damaged beyond repair) 14-1-2000: Wrecked in heavy landing due to loss of control, caused by sudden and total loss of electrical power. Aircraft came down at Wheelsgate Farm, Washington Lane, Old Romney, Romney Marsh, Kent. Minor injuries to the 3 person on board. According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"While en route from Hayes to Lydd and in normal cruise flight at 1,700 feet, the pilot heard a muffled bang from above and behind him. The helicopter immediately went out of control, rolling to the left and pitching up violently. At that time, the helicopter also suffered a sudden loss of electrical power. The pilot managed to regain some control and commenced an auto-rotation; however, during the landing flare, the helicopter's tail rotor struck the ground. The helicopter was thrown forward, causing its undercarriage to collapse, and came to rest on its right side. The accident happened in darkness (16:55 hours Local time) but in VMC.
The subsequent investigation determined that the loss of control resulted from a fracture of the swash plate scissors link attachment bolt. A short time (45 minutes flying time) before the accident flight the scissors link had been incorrectly assembled and installed with the link positioned back to front. The design of the scissors linkage is apparently unique to the A109E Power. The lower link on earlier versions of this helicopter is asymmetric in planform and cannot be installed incorrectly.
The diagram in the Maintenance Manual is said not to show the lower link in sufficient detail to allow engineers to correctly orientate the component and there is no written guidance as to the correct orientation of the link. Additionally the Part and Batch numbers on other versions of the Agusta 109 are embossed on the inboard side of the link, whereas the equivalent numbers appear on the outboard side of the 109E link. (see also G-TVAA 17 June 2000 and EC-GQX 26 July 1999 for accidents in similar circumstances).
The loss of electrical power immediately following the loss of control was thought to be possibly due to the headset worn by the occupant of the left hand seat catching and moving the battery and generator switches, all three of which can be activated through a gang bar, to the 'off' position when he was thrown about when the helicopter went out of control"
Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Substantial to fuselage and rotors". As a result, the registration G-JRSL was cancelled by the CAA on 6-7-2000
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/dft_avsafety_pdf_500753.pdf (accident to G-JRSL)
2. AAIB: http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/dft_avsafety_pdf_500752.pdf (accident to G-TVAA)
3. CAA: http://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-registration/
4. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=48
5. Agusta A109 G-JRSL wreck 9-10-2011 at Kemble, Glos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/egbj/6230880315
6. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/30465/
7. NTSB Identification: CHI00WA120 at https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20001212X20338&ntsbno=CHI00WA120&akey=1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Sep-2010 13:43 | pesce | Added |
| 22-Dec-2012 18:08 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 22-Dec-2012 18:09 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 24-Jan-2013 11:02 | TB | Updated [Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
| 19-May-2013 11:42 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 02-Jun-2013 18:03 | TB | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 04-Aug-2014 17:49 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Jul-2016 15:40 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Jul-2016 16:28 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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