Accident · 2000-09-18
What the record says
- Event date
- 2000-09-18
- Event type
- Accident
- Highest injury level
- Minor injury
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky/Orlando S-55 (N17754)
- Operating rule
- Part 135
- Operator
- PAPILLON HELICOPTERS Operator named in NTSB report
- Operated by (per NTSB report)
- PAPILLON HELICOPTERS INC.
Probable cause
**This report was modified on 2/23/2016. Please refer to the public docket for this accident for more information.** The failure of Papillon maintenance personnel to recognize the significance of the increasing metal in the oil analysis test results and the illumination of the chip detector warning, the combination of which indicated internal engine wear that subsequently resulted in loss of engine drive to the rotor systems during flight. Contributing to the accident was National Flight Services' failure to properly torque the bull and sun gear retaining nut, which resulted in wear and the ultimate disengagement of the bull and sun gear.
Source: NTSB case LAX00FA342Flight crew
Flight-crew details for this event aren't in the NTSB database extract we hold (its coverage starts with 2008 events) — a gap in our data, not an absence of crew.
Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.