Eurocopter France AS350 B2 N417AE
21 May 2008 · Hiram, Georgia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 21 May 2008 at about 14:04 local time, a Eurocopter France AS350 B2 registered N417AE, operated by Omniflight Helicopters Inc, was involved in an accident near Hiram, Georgia, 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 14:04
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hiram, Georgia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Caffery Heliport (00GE)
- Coordinates
- 33.8744, -84.7431
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter France AS350 B2
- Registration
- N417AE
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Omniflight Helicopters Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hiram → Austell
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA08LA106
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The failure of the starflex arm during engine run-up due to inadequate inspection by maintenance personnel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that after engine start, the helicopter shook violently as the throttle was advanced to flight rpm. He conducted an emergency shutdown, inspected the helicopter, and discovered that the tail rotor boom was buckled. Further inspection revealed that the main rotor starflex arm was broken. According to the director of maintenance, the starflex arm was overlooked during a conformity inspection. As a result, it was overflown by 586 hours. A review of a manufacturer service bulletin revealed that the service life on the starflex arm was 2,200 hours. At the time of the accident, the total time on the starflex arm was 2,786 hours. Due to the operator's record keeping process, the complex component life limit historical records were overlooked.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Eurocopter France AS350 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jul 2007 | Eurocopter France AS350 B3 | Paso Robles, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Dec 2007 | Eurocopter France AS350 B3 | Fresno, California, United States | California Highway Patrol | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2006 | Eurocopter France AS350 B2 | Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States | Prism Helicopters Ltd | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 May 2004 | Eurocopter France AS350 B3 | Livermore, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 2004 | Eurocopter France AS350 B2 | Peach Springs, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 2001 | Eurocopter France AS350-B2 | Hayward, California, United States | East Bay Regional Park District | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jan 2008 | Beechcraft A36 | Brunswick, Georgia, United States | BK Corporation | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 2008 | Evektor-Aerotechnik As SPORTSTAR | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | David A Roberts | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 2008 | Piper PA-34-200 | Folkston, Georgia, United States | Silver Express Co | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 2008 | Beechcraft BE-76 | Rome, Georgia, United States | Aviation Atlanta | Fatal | 2 |
| 16 Mar 2008 | Quad City Ultralight CHALLENGER I | Rayle, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jan 2008 | Piper PA-32-260 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |