GALVESTON, TX, USA
N5796T
AEROSPATIALE AS-355F-1
THE PLT RPRTD THAT WHILE APCHG AN OIL DRILLING PLATFORM FOR A LNDG, HE OBSERVED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES GO OUT OF TRACK ABOUT 8 TO 10 INCHES. HE ALSO RPRTD THE HELICOPTER DEVELOPED A 1:1 VERTICAL VIBRATION. DRG THE LNDG, THE HELICOPTER ENTERED INTO GROUND RESONANCE & THE PLT IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES. AN EXAM OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THE LEFT FORWARD TRANSMISSION SUPPORT BAR (TSB) WAS BUCKLED & CRACKED AT MIDSPAN. A METALLURGICAL EXAM OF THE FRACTURE AREA ON THE TSB REVEALED EXTENSIVE, LOW CYCLE, HIGH AMPLITUDE, FATIGUE CRACKING. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE PROPAGATION TIME OFTHE FATIGUE OCCURRED OVR ABOUT 5 HRS OF OPN. THE INV DID NOT REVEAL WHEN THE ORIGINAL BUCKLING OF THE TSB OCCURRED. NO HISTORY OF A PREV HARD LNDG OR GND REASONANCE WAS FND. ALSO, THE RED ARM OF THE STARFLEX HAD FAILED; AN EXAM INDCD IT HAD RUPTURED EITHER UNDER STATIC LOADS, OR VERY RAPIDLY UNDER HI DYNAMIC LOADS. WHEN TESTED, EXTN & RETRACTION TIMES OF LNDG GEAR DAMPERS WERE 8.34 TO 10.38 SEC; AFTER ACDNT, TIME LMTS ESTABLISHED AT 6 TO 13 SEC, PREVIOUSLY 11.1 TO 13.1 SEC
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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