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| Date: | Sunday 1 April 1990 |
| Time: | 13:55 |
| Type: |  Aérospatiale AS 350B |
| Owner/operator: | Macaw Helicopters |
| Registration: | N350AP |
| MSN: | 1252 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1955 hours |
| Engine model: | TURBOMECA ARRIEL |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Philippine Sea, off Saipan Island -
 Northern Mariana Islands
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Koblerville, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands |
| Anatahan Island, Northern Mariana Islands | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE PILOT AND PAX WERE CRUISING OVER THE PHILIPPINE SEA WHEN THE PILOT FELT AN EXTREME VIBRATION. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE 7-FT SEA. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO THE HELICOPTER OVERTURNING HE OBSERVED THAT 'ONE OF THE ELASTOMERIC SPHERICAL THRUST BEARINGS WAS COMPLETELY GONE.' THE HELICOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY OVERTURNED, SANK AND HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED. THE ACFT'S ROTOR SYSTEM HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVOLVED IN A SUDDEN STOPPAGE MISHAP AND HAD THEREAFTER BEEN REPAIRED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE BY OTHER THAN THE CURRENT COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
THE PARTIAL FAILURE OF A ROTOR SYSTEM COMPONENT FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X22940&key=1
2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=350AP
3. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=11552
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 28 July 1987 | N350AP | Jones,jones & Welch | 0 | Nantucket, MA |  |
sub |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Jun-2014 17:36 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Country, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 06-Jun-2022 06:38 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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