ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 233163
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| Date: | Monday 22 July 2019 |
| Time: | 17:30 UTC |
| Type: |  Guimbal Cabri G2 |
| Owner/operator: | HeliGroup |
| Registration: | G-CILR |
| MSN: | 1090 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2015 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-J2A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Wycombe Air Park (EGTB) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Dunkeswell Airport (EGTU) |
| Wycombe Air Park (EGTB) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter had flown from Dunkeswell, Devon, to Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire. As the pilot was shutting down the helicopter, he noticed smoke emanating from the left side of the rotor mast. He evacuated the helicopter and tried, unsuccessfully, to extinguish the fire with the helicopter’s on-board fire extinguisher. The helicopter was destroyed.
Examination of the wreckage identified that the electrical cable connecting the alternator to the starter relay had short circuited against the aluminium baffle that surrounds the engine, probably as a result of the cable clips being incorrectly fitted.
As a result of this investigation the helicopter manufacturer issued a service bulletin to instruct operators to inspect for correct installation of the cable clips and has also completed a redesign of the clips to ensure they cannot be fitted incorrectly.
The helicopter caught fire shortly after landing because the heat generated from a short circuit in the engine compartment ignited a nearby carbon fibre structure. The short circuit was made between the cable that connected the output of the alternator to the starter relay and the aluminium air baffle through which the
cable passed. It is likely that the cable clips that should have held the cable as it passed though the baffle were either not present or, most likely, incorrectly fitted.
The upward movement of the engine as a result of the clutch disengagement was sufficient to allow the unsecured cable to contact the unprepared edge of the aluminium baffle, allowing the insulation to be cut and initiate the short circuit.
Safety actions taken by the helicopter manufacturer:
● A Service Bulletin was issued by the helicopter manufacturer to inspect the clips to ensure correct installation.
● The helicopter manufacturer has completed a redesign of the clipping system to ensure the cable clipping cannot be installed incorrectly. The new design of clip is being fitted to new production helicopters and will be available via service bulletin from the manufacturer".
The registration was cancelled as destroyed 12 Feb 2020.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB Correspondence Report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aaib-current-field-investigations/air-accidents-investigation-branch-current-field-investigations
2. AAIB Annual Safety Review 2020 p.106: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60d2e72ed3bf7f4bd4662d67/Annual_Safety_Review_2020.pdf
Images:
Photo: AAIB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Feb-2020 20:09 | sharla82 | Added |
| 19-Mar-2020 11:00 | harro | Updated [Photo, Accident report, ] |
| 19-Mar-2020 11:07 | harro | Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Accident report, ] |
| 26-Jun-2021 22:32 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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