Aerospatiale AS-350D N5784Y

Summary

On 26 April 1982 at about 20:45 local time, a Aerospatiale AS-350D registered N5784Y, operated by Air-Op, Inc., was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

26 April 1982 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Houston, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Cypress (Closed)

Coordinates

30.0590, -95.3808

Aircraft

Aerospatiale AS-350D

Registration

N5784Y

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Air-Op, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Houston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW82DA150

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR THE PILOT TO PRACTICE MANEUVERS IN PREPARATION FOR A PART 135 CHECK RIDE. THE PILOT WAS PRACTICING POWER RECOVERY AUTOROTATIONS TO A HEIGHT OF ABOUT 5 FT AG. HE REPORTED THAT ON HIS FOURTH AUTOROTATION, THE ENGINE DID NOT ACCELERATE WHEN HE ATTEMPTED THE POWER RECOVERY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER FELL THROUGH THE RECOVERY AND LANDED HARD. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, THE ENGINE FUEL CONTROL AND POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR WERE REMOVED FOR EXAMINATION. THE GOVERNOR WAS FOUND TO BE WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. HOWEVER, AN EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT REVEALED THE PX TRIM BLEED PART WAS OVERSIZE. THE SPECIFICATION CALLED FOR A SIZE #64 TO #68 PART, BUT A #61 PART WAS INSTALLED. ALSO, THERE WAS SOME WEAR ON THE BELLOWS. ACCORDING TO BENDIX CORP, THE OVERSIZE PART AND WEAR WOULD HAVE LEANED THE MIXTURE, BUT WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE POWER LOSS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.