Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Happy Camp Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Happy Camp, California 96039
Monday, September 4, 2006 15:50 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
An engine fire warning light illuminated in the cockpit and the pilot observed smoke coming from the helicopter. He pulled the fire extinguisher handle on the number 2 engine and made a rapid descent to the airport. The pilot dropped the long line and landed without further incident. A post-landing examination of the helicopter revealed that the external surfaces of the Number 2 engine were covered in soot. A hole, which appeared to originate inside the engine, was observed on the gas generator case at the 5 o'clock position (aft looking forward). Post accident disassembly and inspection was performed on the number 2 engine. During the teardown, investigators found foreign debris, consistent in appearance to a stator vane, lodged in a diffuser pipe. The diffuser pipe, which directs compressor discharge air to the combustion area, was located at approximately the 5 o'clock position (aft looking forward). Further inspection revealed a fractured stator vane in the compressor second stage stator assembly. Due to impact and heat damage to the stator vane fracture surface, the cause of cracking could not be determined. Pratt & Whitney Canada investigators, in the presence of Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, concluded the following. "The perforation of the gas generator case was most likely caused by a disturbance of compressed air flow from the diffuser pipes. The restriction in airflow caused by the lodged stator vane limited the flow of combustion liner cooling air, resulting in a localized increase in temperature and subsequent burning through the combustion liner and the gas generator case." The engine teardown and inspection revealed no other significant anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Failure of compressor second stage stator vane for undetermined reasons while maneuvering.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/4/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1550 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Happy Camp |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96039 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 414726N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1232320W |
| Event Location Airport | Happy Camp |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 36S |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1209 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 35 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22178 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 4 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 27 2007 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO-Sacramento, CA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N873HL |
| NTSB Number | LAX06TA284 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 212 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 30873 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 10647 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Rogers Helicopters Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Clovis |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93613 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Washington |
| Operator State | DC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | External Load |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 36S |
| Departure City | Happy Camp |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1549 |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 24 2007 2:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |