Airborne Aviation, Inc.
Also recorded as: AIRBORNE AVIATION, AIRBORNE AVIATION, INC., Airborne Aviation Inc., Airborne Aviation, Inc., MAGNUM HELICOPTERS
Accident & enforcement record
Events that happened, regardless of the operator's own reporting. Each links to its public source.
NTSB accidents & incidents
Operated by Airborne Aviation Inc. — Rotorcraft external load (133), On-demand air taxi (135), Commercial air tour (136), Agricultural aircraft (137) (per NTSB report)
Not yet finalized — may be revised.Operated by Airborne Aviation Inc (per NTSB report)
The entanglement of a tarp in the helicopter's main rotor from a nearby trash bundle.
Operated by AIRBORNE AVIATION, INC. (per NTSB report)
THE STUDENT PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN HE MISJUDGED THE HEIGHT OF THE LANDING FLARE. THE RECOVERY FROM THE BOUNCED LANDING WAS INADEQUATE AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED UPON IMPACT WITH THE RUNWAY.
FAA enforcement actions
No FAA enforcement actions linked to this operator.
Maintenance disclosure history
Service Difficulty Reports are self-reported maintenance findings. The NUMBER of reports is not a measure of reliability — diligent operators file more, not fewer. These are shown for transparency, not as a negative signal. To verify a report, search its control number at the FAA SDRS site.
Reports span 2023–2025. Most-reported systems: Flight controls (27) — 1; Main rotor drive (63) — 1; Powerplant (71) — 1. Most-common natures of condition, as filed: WARNING INDICATION — 2; FLT CONT AFFECTED — 1.
3 reports on file.
Part: ACTUATOR — MALFUNCTIONED (ZONE 100) · airframe 29,095 hrs
PILOT REPORTED CYCLIC JERKED LEFT WHILE IN FORWARD FLIGHT AND FELT AS IF TRIM WAS IN FULL LEFT POSITION. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT PERFORMED A FUNCTIONAL CHECK OF TRIM ACTUATORS. CONFIRMED TRIM MOTOR TO BE CORRECTLY CORRESPONDING TO INPUTS MADE TO CYCLIC TRIM SWITCH. AN ELECTRICAL MOTOR ACTIVATION NOISE COULD BE HEARD WHEN THE TRIM SWITCH IS ACTIVATED TO THE FWD, AFT, LEFT AND RIGHT POSITIONS. IT WAS NOTED THAT WHEN ACTUATING THE LATERAL TRIM MOTOR, ALTHOUGH THE ELECTRIC TRIM MOTOR WAS ACTIVATING IT SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS "FREE SPINNING" AND THE CYCLIC WOULD NOT MOVE LEFT OR RIGHT WHEN ACTIVATING THE SWITCH. THIS WOULD BE INDICATIVE OF A FAILED MECHANICAL PORTION OF THE TRIM ACTUATOR.
Part: UNKNOWN — UNKNOWN (UNKNOWN) · airframe 10,046 hrs · 56,548 cycles
ON JANUARY 1ST 2024, N514PA EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE CHIP LIGHT DURING A 135 TOUR FLIGHT. THE PILOT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. ALL PASSENGERS WERE REMOVED WITH A SECOND HELICOPTER CARRYING MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. LARGE CHUNKS OF ROLLER BEARING CAGE MATERIAL WERE FOUND ON THE LOWER CHIP DETECTOR OF THE ENGINE GEARBOX ASSEMBLY BEYOND ALLOWABLE LIMITS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE GEARBOX ASSEMBLY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELOCATED TO THE HANGER FACILITY WHERE COMPONENT REPLACEMENT FOUND NO FURTHER METAL PARTICLES OR CONTAMINATION, CLEAN OIL FILTERS, AND SYSTEM DRAIN AND FLUSH COMPLETED. ALL REQUIRED GROUND RUN CHECKS AND OPERATIONAL FLIGHT CHECKS WERE COMPLETED AND THE AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE.
Part: TRANSMISSION — INSTALLED (ZONE 200) · airframe 8,848 hrs · 8,742 cycles
DURING A 135 TOUR OPERATION EXPERIENCED A MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION CHIP LIGHT RESULTING IN A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. ANOTHER HELICOPTER WAS BROUGHT IN WITH MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND BROUGHT ALL PASSENGERS BACK TO THE AIRPORT. THE MAIN ROTOR CHIP DETECTORS WERE INSPECTED AND NOTED LIGHT FUZZ WITH A SINGLE SMALL SLIVER CAUSING THE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE CHIP DETECTORS WERE CLEANED AND THE TRANSMISSION DRAINED AND FLUSHED PER MANUFACTURERS PUBLICATIONS. THE AIRCRAFT CONDUCTED AN OPERATIONAL FLIGHT CHECK PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE SAFE LANDING SITE WHICH WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT ISSUE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO THE AIRPORT. UPON LANDING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS AGAIN FLUSHED WITH ANOTHER OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT WITH NO METAL NOTED ON THE CHIP DETECTORS. FOLLOW UP MAINTENANCE REQUIRED AFTER FOUR HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME PER MANUFACTURERS PUBLICATIONS. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SECOND CHIP LIGHT PRIOR TO ACCUMULATION OF FOUR HOURS AND THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE.
Linked aircraft
| N-number | Make / model | Year | Status | Link basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1044Z | — | — | Operator named in NTSB report | |
| N514PA | HUGHES HELICOPTERS INC HUGHES 369D | 1981 | Valid Registration | Matched by certificate designator |
| N519PA | HUGHES HELICOPTERS INC HUGHES 369D | 1977 | Valid Registration | Operator named in NTSB report |
| N635SB | — | — | Matched by certificate designator | |
| N711KV | SUMMA CORP 369D | 1977 | Valid Registration | Matched by certificate designator |
| N715KV | HUGHES HELICOPTERS INC HUGHES 369D | 1979 | Valid Registration | Operator named in NTSB report |
| N719KV | SUMMA CORP 369D | 1979 | Valid Registration | Matched by certificate designator |
Aircraft with earlier records under this certificate
Maintenance and accident records on this page also cover aircraft that are not in this operator's current FAA fleet list. Charter and management fleets change — owners switch management companies, sell, or export aircraft. Where the registry shows what became of a tail, it is noted below.
2 aircraft filed records under this certificate within the last two years but are not in the fleet list we hold — fleet lists can lag actual operations.