Eurocopter AS350D N900PH
3 May 1995 · Sea Bright, New Jersey, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 3 May 1995 at about 17:00 local time, a Eurocopter AS350D registered N900PH, operated by Liberty Helicopter, was involved in an accident near Sea Bright, New Jersey, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sea Bright, New Jersey, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS350D
- Registration
- N900PH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Liberty Helicopter
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- New York City → Keansburg
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC95LA099
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
Failure of the position 19 engine bearing, which resulted in shifting of the accessory gear drive, disengagement of the fuel pump, fuel starvation, and loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
At 1000 feet mean sea level, the helicopter's engine lost total power. The pilot entered autorotation, and deployed the floats in preparation for a water landing. During the flare, the tailrotor entered the water and separated from the tailboom. An engine teardown revealed that the inner race of the position 19 bearing, which supported the high speed power gearshaft, failed due to fatigue. Subsequently, the #1 and #2 (accessory) gears disengaged. These gears provided drive to the gas generator accessories, which included the fuel pump/control assemblies. With the gears disengaged, there was no drive to the fuel pump, rendering it incapable of delivering fuel to the fuel control.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Eurocopter AS350D accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jan 2006 | Eurocopter AS350D | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | ALIKA Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Nov 1995 | Beechcraft A36 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Sep 1995 | Piper PA-18A-150 | Egg Harbor, New Jersey, United States | Scott Higgins | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 May 1995 | Boeing 767-383ER | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Scandinavian Airline System | No injuries | - |
| 6 Nov 1995 | Cessna 177 | South Brunswick, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Dec 1995 | Cessna 172N | Wildwood, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Feb 1995 | Cessna 152 | Colts Neck, New Jersey, United States | Gibson Air Academy Inc. | Minor injuries | - |