Eurocopter AS 350 B3 N973AE

Summary

On 27 August 2006 at about 07:21 local time, a Eurocopter AS 350 B3 registered N973AE was involved in an accident near Casa Grande, Arizona, United States. 3 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.

Date

27 August 2006 at 07:21

Classification

Accident

Location

Casa Grande, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.8800, -111.7103

Aircraft

Eurocopter AS 350 B3

Registration

N973AE

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Casa Grande Hel → Phoenix

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

LAX06LA273

Nobody was injured.

Internal damage to the stop electro valve which resulted in fuel starvation and subsequent loss of engine power during takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The engine lost power during an attempted takeoff, and the helicopter landed hard. Just prior to the accident flight, the adjusted valve assembly on the engine was removed and replaced. Following this maintenance, the pilot flew the helicopter to a hospital where a flight paramedic and nurse boarded the helicopter. Upon liftoff, the engine lost power and the helicopter landed hard. Post accident test run and examination of the engine showed that uncommanded shutdowns of the engine would occur at higher power settings. Disassembly of the adjusted valve assembly revealed that the stop electro valve was damaged internally. The damage consisted of a deformation of the core housing which would not allow the stop electro valve to completely open during operation. In this condition, a pressure drop would occur, which would lead to an untimely activation of the stop purge valve and a fuel flow drop. The adjusted valve assembly had been overhauled by the engine manufacturer and then sold to the operator, prior to its installation on the engine. The engine manufacturer indicated that this damage occurred between the time the component was shipped from the factory and its first use, however, they could not ascertain how the damage occurred. The damage was not apparent until the unit was disassembled. Metallurgical examination showed that the damage occurred when the valve was in a disassembled condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.