ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 18988
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| Date: | Sunday 26 June 1983 |
| Time: | 13:20 UTC |
| Type: |  Aérospatiale SA 318C Alouette II |
| Owner/operator: | Helicopter Hire Ltd |
| Registration: | G-AWAP |
| MSN: | 1966 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Gat Sands, The Wash, 6 nm E Boston, Linconshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Holbeach, Lincolnshire |
| Investigating agency: | AIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Crashed after main rotor failure. The helicopter was engaged in a aerial survey of the seal colonies in The Wash when it crashed from a height of approximately 50 feet AMSL on to a sand bank at low water. All four persons on board (pilot and three passengers) were killed.
The cause was disengagement of the main rotor retention nut due to corrosion in the threads. An unidentified but un-approved grease used had introduced sulphate contamination which attacked the cadmium plating. Due to an error in the scheduling of maintenance and the omission of a 'supplemental' inspection, the nut had been left undisturbed for 4 years on this low utilisation aircraft. The rotor mast was the vent for moisture from the main gear box and this introduced moisture.
The main rotor mast overhaul life had been extended by 10% by the company under the authority they had in their exposition. A further 1.5% extension had been applied for to the CAA, which had been granted.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/5422fc85ed915d13710008c9/Alouette_SA_138B_G-AWAP_10-83.pdf
2. CAA: https://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-AWAP.pdf
3. https://www.pprune.org/7827978-post18.html (pre-accident photos)
4. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=14448
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-May-2008 11:10 | ASN archive | Added |
| 14-Jul-2012 19:50 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 19-Aug-2012 17:12 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 19-Aug-2012 17:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Embed code] |
| 24-Jan-2013 08:42 | TB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Jun-2013 13:35 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 13-Jun-2014 20:32 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 20-Sep-2014 16:39 | TB | Updated [Location, Embed code] |
| 30-Oct-2015 03:09 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code] |
| 01-May-2016 08:28 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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