McDonnell Douglas MD 369HS N95MS
11 March 1997 · Pacific Ocean · No injuries
Summary
On 11 March 1997, a McDonnell Douglas MD 369HS registered N95MS was involved in an accident near Pacific Ocean. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Pacific Ocean
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas MD 369HS
- Registration
- N95MS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX97LA120
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to a deteriorated compressor air seal, which resulted from inadequate maintenance inspection of the helicopter to detect corrosion in the compressor case while being operated in a marine environment.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter departed from a fishing vessel and lost partial engine power. The pilot stated he heard noise from the engine sounding like a compressor stall. The pilot regained power and attempted to return to the ship. On short final approach the helicopter lost power again and the pilot ditched the aircraft in the Pacific Ocean. The engine compressor section was examined and the compressor case plastic coating was found cracked with sections of the plastic missing, including the plastic sections between all of the fifth stage stator vanes. According to the engine manufacturer, loss of plastic can have an adverse effect on compressor performance. The engine manufacturer further indicated that corrosion was the most common cause of loss of the plastic coating. The missing plastic exceeded the quantity necessary to replace the compressor. The helicopter was immersed in salt water and it was not possible to determine the extent of corrosion on the compressor before the accident. The engine manufacturer specifies inspection of the compressor case should be made as necessary by the operating environment, but not to exceed every 300 hours.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.