Aerospatiale AS355F1 crash near West Windsor, NJ, United States

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn September 15, 2012, at 1200 eastern daylight time, an Aerospatiale AS 355F1, N58020, operated by Analar Corporation, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain following an in-flight breakup near West Windsor, New Jersey. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The positioning flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Atlantic City International Airport (ACY), Atlantic City, New Jersey. The flight originated from Princeton Airport (39N), Princeton, New Jersey, about 1155. According to the owner and president of the operator, the helicopter had flown during the summer with a loaner main transmission, while its own transmission was sent out for repair. After the repair was complete, the helicopter's main transmission was received and then reinstalled on September 13, 2012. After the installation, the president conducted a maintenance ground run, followed by a 30-minute maintenance test flight, with no anomalies noted. Earlier during the day of the accident, the accident pilot completed a roundtrip flight uneventfully, with a relative of the helicopter owner onboard. Specifically, the pilot flew from 39N to the West 30th Street Heliport (JRA), New York, New York, picked up the passenger, and flew back to 39N. At the conclusion of that flight, the helicopter was "hot fueled" to its maximum fuel capacity and then departed on the accident flight to pick up another relative of the helicopter owner at ACY. The president estimated that the helicopter had flown approximately 1 hour 10 minutes since the installation of the transmission when the accident occurred. According to information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the helicopter was in radio and radar contact with McGuire Approach Control. Radio and radar contact were lost at 1200 and no distress calls were received. Witnesses near the area of the accident site reported hearing a banging, explosion, or engine rev noise, followed by a piece separating from the helicopter and the helicopter spiraling nose down toward the ground. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 65, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, rotorcraft helicopter, instrument airplane and instrument helicopter. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on July 21, 2012. It was a deferred issuance due to a new onset of atrial fibrillation. He was previously issued a second-class medical certificate on September 12, 2011. According to employer records, the pilot had a total flight experience of approximately 11,100 hours; of which, about 2,200 hours were in the same make and model as the accident helicopter. The pilot had flown about 21 hours during the 90 days preceding the accident. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe six-seat helicopter, serial number 5227, was manufactured in 1982. It was equipped with two Rolls-Royce (Allison) 250-C20F, 420-shaft horsepower engines. The helicopter was maintained under a manufacturer's approved inspection program. It's most recent inspection was a 100-hour inspection, which was completed on the morning of the accident in conjunction with the installation of the repaired main transmission. At that time, the helicopter had accumulated 11,431.3 hours of operation. The helicopter's most recent 600-hour inspection was completed on June 5, 2012. At that time, the helicopter had accumulated 11,332.7 hours of operation. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONTrenton Mercer Airport (TTN) was located about 7 miles west of the accident site. The recorded weather at TTN, at 1153, was: wind 350 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 16 knots; visibility 10 miles; sky clear; temperature 21 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C; altimeter 30.14 inches Hg. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe six-seat helicopter, serial number 5227, was manufactured in 1982. It was equipped with two Rolls-Royce (Allison) 250-C20F, 420-shaft horsepower engines. The helicopter was maintained under a manufacturer's approved inspection program. It's most recent inspection was a 100-hour inspection, which was completed on the morning of the accident in conjunction with the installation of the repaired main transmission. At that time, the helicopter had accumulated 11,431.3 hours of operation. The helicopter's most recent 600-hour inspection was completed on June 5, 2012. At that time, the helicopter had accumulated 11,332.7 hours of operation. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe helicopter came to rest upright in a cornfield, on a magnetic heading of 305 degrees. A postcrash fire consumed a majority of the cockpit and cabin. Due to fire damage, flight control continuity could not be confirmed. Both antitorque pedals were installed. The right cyclic was installed and the left cyclic was located in the field next to the rotorhead, consistent with its removal prior to flight. The right collective was installed and fire damaged. The left collective was not recovered. The majority of the instrument panel, including the caution warning panel, was consumed by fire. Three identifiable engine instruments were recovered; however, their indicating needles were loose. One front seat buckle was identified and noted as unclasped. Both forward cabin doors were found about 50 yards from the main wreckage. The doorpost and segments of the windshield remained attached to the right door. The doorpost and windshield were found separated from the left door (for more information, see Wreckage Plot in the public docket). The aft section of tailboom was not consumed by fire and exhibited impact damage. The right horizontal stabilizer was separated near the root and a segment of the right horizontal stabilizer was recovered about 165 yards southeast of the main wreckage. The separation signatures were consistent with main rotor blade contact. The left horizontal and upper vertical stabilizers remained attached and were undamaged. The ventral fin remained attached; however, the lower end of the fin sustained impact damage. The tailboom had separated forward of the horizontal stabilizer. The tailrotor driveshaft remained intact from the tailrotor gearbox to just prior to the forward spline, where the tailrotor driveshaft had melted. One tailrotor blade remained attached to the tailrotor hub. The other tailrotor blade separated at the hub and was found 25 yards north, consistent with impact damage. The left engine cowling, with its intake screen, was located about 140 yards south of the main wreckage. The cowling was coated with clean (light yellow/brown) oil on both sides. The rotorhead, located about 100 yards southwest of the main wreckage, included the top portion of transmission (the conical housing with the epicyclic and ring gear attached), the main rotor shaft, the starflex, and the red and blue main rotor blades with their sleeves and spherical thrust bearings attached. Also included were two servos (left-roll and right-roll) and three pitch change rods. A third servo (fore/aft) was found near the rotorhead, but had separated at both rod end connections; both upper and lower rod end bearings remained attached to the stationary swashplate and conical housing, respectively. The entire yellow main rotor blade and sleeve assembly had separated from the rotorhead and was later recovered about 270 yards southeast of the main wreckage. The yellow star arm had separated from the starflex and was located about 40 yards south of the main wreckage. The lower (stationary) scissor link assembly separated from both hinges and was not recovered. The rotorhead had separated from the main transmission near the upper flange of the bevel gear reduction module's cylindrical housing; the fracture surface remained intact with the separated rotorhead (for more information, see Airworthiness Group Chairman Factual Report in the public docket). Metallurgical examination of the retained c