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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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NTSB Report

July 17, 2001 · Aerospatiale SA315B · N2128Z

Cody, WY

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
July 17, 2001
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 minor injury)
Location
Cody, WY
Aircraft
Aerospatiale SA315B
Tail Number
N2128Z
Operator
Geo-Seis Helicopters
Injuries
Minor
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
DEN01LA125

The pilot reported that he was starting his 27th move of geophysical drilling equipment for the day. He was pulling in power to lift (long line) an engine and a compressor when he heard two loud "pops." He lost engine power, but did not release the long line because his ground helper was underneath the load. He moved forward a short distance, and autorotated to a 45 degree hill side. The aircraft landed and immediately rolled on its side with the mast pointing down slope which stopped the rolling. The ground helper said that he saw "fire shooting out of the tailpipe" as the helicopter descended towards the earth. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that all the turbine blades had experienced an extreme over temperature condition. The density altitude was computed to be 9,205 feet.

NTSB Probable Cause

the failure of the turbine assembly due to an over temperature condition. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.

Full Narrative

On July 17, 2001, at approximately 1515 mountain daylight time, an Aerospatiale SA315B helicopter, N2128Z, was destroyed when it rolled over following an emergency autorotation near Cody, Wyoming. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant in the aircraft, received minor injuries. Geo-Seis Helicopters, Fort Collins, Colorado, was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 133. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The long line operation originated from a remote landing zone approximately 45 minutes before the accident. No flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he was starting his 27th move of geophysical drilling equipment for the day. He was increasing power to lift an engine and compressor when he heard two loud "pops." The engine lost power, but the pilot did not release the long line because his ground helper was underneath the load. He moved forward a short distance, and autorotated to a 45 degree hill side. The aircraft landed and immediately rolled on its side with the mast pointing down slope, which stopped the aircraft from rolling. The ground helper said that he saw "fire shooting out of the tailpipe" as the helicopter descended. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that all the turbine blades had experienced an extreme over temperature condition. The density altitude was computed to be 9,205 feet. The pilot had approximately 5,510 hours of flight experience in SA315B Lamas.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time15:15 MDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledCvfr
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireIflt
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftAerospatiale SA315B
Tail NumberN2128Z
Aircraft CategoryHeli
DamageSubstantial
OperatorGeo-Seis Helicopters
Operating RulePart 133
Engines1
Engine TypeTurboshaft
Engine DetailsTurbomeca · Artouste III · Turboshaft · 856
Seats5

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 minor injury)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor1
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 52 · Second Class · Minor

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind70° @ 7 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point45 C
Altimeter29.93 inHg
Observation Time21:15
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data