Aerospatiale AS-350B N782LF
27 May 1993 · Cameron, Missouri, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 27 May 1993 at about 11:26 local time, a Aerospatiale AS-350B registered N782LF, operated by Rocky Mountain Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Cameron, Missouri, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 11:26
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cameron, Missouri, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.7396, -94.2309
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS-350B
- Registration
- N782LF
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Rocky Mountain Helicopters
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Bethany → Kansas City
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI93FA182
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FAILURE OF THE SECOND STAGE TURBINE LABYRINTH SEAL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE UNFAVORABLE WIND AND TALL TREES BORDERING THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
LIFEFLIGHT HELICOPTER WAS EN ROUTE WITH PATIENT WHEN NURSE HEARD LOUD 'POP' FOLLOWED BY 'CLATTERING' & HORN ALARM. SOON THEREAFTER, HELICOPTER IMPACTED A FIELD ON SOUTHERLY HEADING ABOUT 70' SOUTH OF TALL TREES. GROUND SCARS & DEBRIS WERE LOCATED ALONG 150' BY 80' PATH. WITNESSES SAID WIND WAS STRONG/GUSTY FROM SOUTH. HELICOPTER WAS EQUIPPED WITH TURBOMECA ARRIEL 1B ENGINE WITH TU-76 MODIFICATION. IT HAD TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 2482 HOURS. RECOMMENDED TIME BETWEEN OVERHAUL WAS 2500 HOURS. INVESTIGATION REVEALED ENGINE LOST POWER DUE TO FAILURE OF LABYRINTH SEAL IN 2ND STAGE TURBINE NOZZLE GUIDE VANE. TUBOMECA PERSONNEL PROPOSED THAT UNDER THERMAL LOW CYCLE FATIGUE, A CRACK COULD INITIATE ON 2ND TURBINE NOZZLE GUIDE VANE HUB, WHICH COULD LEAD TO RUB BETWEEN INNER DIAMETER OF HUB & INNER TURBINE LABYRINTH LIPS. THERE WERE 7 ENGINE FAILURES OF SIMILAR NATURE, ALL RELATED TO TU-76 STANDARD NOZZLES. TURBOMECA SERVICE BULLETIN 292 72 0153 WAS ISSUED TO IMPROVE MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF INTERNAL ENVELOPE OF 2ND STAGE NOZZLE GUIDE VANE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aerospatiale AS-350B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 1992 | Aerospatiale AS-350B | Hana, Hawaii, United States | Hawaii Hellicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 7 |
| 10 Jul 1994 | Aerospatiale AS 350B-2 | Granite, Colorado, United States | Rocky Mountain Helicopters Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 May 1995 | Aerospatiale AS-350B | Tampa, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 1997 | Aerospatiale AS-350B | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Apr 1997 | Aerospatiale AS 350B | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 1989 | Aerospatiale AS-350B | Liberty Hill, Texas, United States | Texas Dept of Public Safety | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Sep 1993 | Luscombe 8F | Festus, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Apr 1993 | Boeing 767-233 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | Air Canada | No injuries | - |
| 19 Nov 1993 | Hughes 369HS | Antonia, Missouri, United States | Drug Enforcement Admin. | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Oct 1993 | Cessna 150G | Osceola, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jan 1993 | Piper PA-24 | Buffalo, Missouri, United States | LEE, Albert E. | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 1993 | Cessna 172 | Independence, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |