MD Helicopters 369FF N5842Z
24 July 2015 · Vega Baja, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 24 July 2015 at about 13:45 local time, a MD Helicopters 369FF registered N5842Z, operated by Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, was involved in an accident near Vega Baja, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 13:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Vega Baja, United States
- Coordinates
- 18.4831, -66.3475
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopters 369FF
- Registration
- N5842Z
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1999
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- San Juan → Arecibo
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA15LA280
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to insufficient lubrication to the engine's No. 2 bearing, which resulted in the failure of the bearing and a subsequent forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
About 20 minutes into a flight, the helicopter's engine experienced a total loss of power while at an altitude of about 300 ft above ground level. The pilot then entered an autorotative descent, and during the landing attempt, the helicopter impacted an area of shallow water near a beach and the fuselage was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 bearing had failed most likely as the result of a reduction in oil flow to the bearing. Examination of the tube that fed oil to the bearing revealed that it was unremarkable; however, its design had been superseded with an improved design for new helicopters several months before the accident. The newly designed tube was implemented to "decrease the bearing temperature and improve the bearing performance."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other MD Helicopters 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov 2015 | MD Helicopters 369D | Sedro-Woolley, Washington, United States | Olympic Air Inc | No injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 2015 | MD Helicopters 369E | Whitefish, Montana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 2016 | MD Helicopters 369E | Brainerd, Minnesota, United States | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | No injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 2014 | MD Helicopters 369FF | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 2017 | MD Helicopters 369 | Mexicali, Mexico | - | Fatal | 5 |
| 26 Sep 2017 | MD Helicopters 369 | Norrbotten, Sweden, Sweden | Visimind AB | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jan 2015 | Piper PA 12 | Ridgefield, Washington, United States | Nicolai Jane G | No injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 2015 | Cessna 182R | Fort Myers, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 2015 | De Havilland DHC-3T | Skwentna, Alaska, United States | Alaska Air Taxi LLC | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 2015 | Christensen Steve WHEELER EXPRESS | Holland, Minnesota, United States | Christensen Steven J | Fatal | 3 |
| 5 Sep 2015 | Cessna TR182 | Midland, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Dec 2015 | Boeing 737 76N | San Diego, California, United States | Southwest Airlines Co | Serious injuries | - |