N3978Y

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On July 30, 2002, at 1843 mountain daylight time, an Aerospatiale SA315B, N3978Y, registered to Roberts Aircraft Co., Granite Canyon, Wyoming, and operated by Geo-Seis Helicopters, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado, was destroyed when it struck terrain while maneuvering 6 miles southeast of Estes Park, Colorado. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from a staging area near Estes Park approximately 1840.

The helicopter was engaged in fire suppression activities at the Big Elk fire near the Rocky Mountain National Park. According to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), several large unburned "islands," approximately 400 acres in size, were in the northwest section of Division B. Due to the abundance of fuel and topography, this area had the greatest potential for the fire to spread towards Estes Park.

According to the USFS, the pilot's day began at 0745 when he was dispatched to the Big Elk Helibase, arriving there about 0800. After being briefed, the pilot began making water drop missions. At 1530, he transported fire managers and reconnoitered a fire area. It was determined that additional water bucket drops would be necessary to cool down certain areas, and pre-treat unburned areas. For the next two hours the pilot made a number of water drops. The pilot returned to the helibase about 1800 and the helicopter was refueled. The pilot took off approximately 1820 and made two additional water drops.

According to witnesses, as the pilot made his approach for a third water drop, they heard engine sounds described as the "engine screaming"; like a "car was in neutral and the engine was running fast"; a "high-pitch whine"; a "high-pitch noise"; a "strange noise" like the engine was "under strain" or "bogging down"; "Rrrrrr"; and an "electronic sound with grinding metal." Some witnesses heard "a loud pop," or a "snap." Witnesses said the rotor blades were "still turning" or "slowing" or "winding down." One witness said the "rotor sound was gone." Many reported hearing the rotor blades making a "thump, thump, thump," or "whoop, whoop, whoop" sound. Witnesses monitoring the helicopter's radio frequency reported hearing the pilot say, "Hey guys, I'm having trouble, I'm going down"; "I'm having trouble here"; "Helicopter going down"; "Going down, going down"; "Boat down," or words to that effect. Witnesses on the ground saw purple or blue flames coming from the exhaust stack. One witness said they were "pinkish-colored." Another witness said the flames "took on a flame-thrower effect, " shooting flames two to three feet out the exhaust stack. Another witness reported seeing the helicopter falling "skid down." Another witness said that hitting the ground and rolling over, they heard the engine spooling down. Flames were seen "coming from the engine after impact" and it "sounded like a blowtorch."

A postimpact ground fire, confined to the cockpit area, was quickly extinguished. Witnesses agreed that when they heard the noises and saw the flames coming from the tailpipe, the water bucket --- although low --- was above the trees.

The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at a location of 40 degrees, 17.99' north latitude, and 105 degrees, 26.94' west longitude, or about 6 miles southwest of Estes Park, Colorado, near Rocky Mountain National Park.

CREW INFORMATION

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate, dated May 3, 1974, with rotary wing-helicopter, instrument-helicopter, and airplane single-engine land ratings. He also held a second class airman medical certificate, dated May 23, 2002, with the restriction, "Must have available glasses for near vision." When he applied for this certificate, he estimated his total flight time at 8,000 hours, 50 hours of which were accrued in the previous six months. The USFS reported that the pilot had 7,730 hours of total time, 900 hours in the Aerospatiale SA315B, and over 7000 hours in rotorcraft. The pilot had 200 hours of flight time within the previous 90 days, 100 hours within the previous 30 days, and 8.7 hours within the previous 24 hours before the accident. According to FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI), a review of his medical file disclosed "no major medical problems."

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N3978Y (s/n 2520), a model SA315B Llama, was manufactured by Aerospatiale in 1978. It was equipped with a Turbomeca Artouste IIIB turboshaft engine (s/n 815), rated at 858 shaft horsepower. It was owned by and registered to Roberts Aircraft Company of Granite Canyon, Wyoming, operated by Geo-Seis Helicopters, Inc., of Fort Collins, Colorado, and under contract to the Rocky Mountain Interagency Helitack. It was equipped with a 100-foot long line. One end was attached to a quick-release on the bottom of the helicopter, and the other end was attached to a 144-gallon "Bambi" bucket. Opening the bucket and dropping its contents was pilot-controlled by activating a cockpit release, either manually or electrically.

According to the helicopter maintenance records, the last inspection was performed on May 10, 2002. The airframe had accrued 202 hours since this inspection, and had a total time-in-service of 3,709 hours at the time of the accident. The turbine nozzle guide vanes had accumulated 4,707 total hours and were original equipment. According to Turbomeca, the nozzles are not cycle-limited.

According to FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) No. NE-03-30, dated March 13, 2003, the French Military Services had previously sold surplus Aerospatiale Alouette and Lama helicopters, powered by Turbomeca Artouste II, III, and Astazou XIV engines, to the public. The Bulletin noted that the helicopters "may not have been maintained within the framework of a civil regime and their configuration may not conform to the type definition approved by the Civil Aviation Authority." The French Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) issued various airworthiness directives to mandate the proper actions to be taken, prior to the next flight, for authorized use of these engines for civil operation. "The FAA, however, does not recognize these surplus foreign military engines as eligible for installation on any civil aircraft having an Airworthiness Certificate other than 'Experimental'. We will not issue an Airworthiness Certificate other than 'Experimental' for aircraft and engines released as surplus by a foreign military service, even if these products have been subsequently resold by a manufacturer, owner/operator, repair facility, or part supplier, due to the lack of historical fleet records. This data is essential to verify the modification standards, the applied repair solutions, the scheduled and unscheduled maintenance practices, and in particular, the life cycle remaining for the critical parts. Without complete knowledge of the previous operational usage and all the aspects of its quality system for maintaining the engines, we cannot find the appropriate level of continued airworthiness for safe operation" as required by Title 14 CFR Part 21.29. These "aircraft and engines cannot be used for civil operation in the US, other than as 'experimental' category aircraft. You cannot presume that their accessories, spare parts, whether new, used or parted out, are eligible for installation of FAA type certificated products used for civil operation."

Turbomeca Service Bulletin No. 218 72 0094 (originally issued August 16, 1995, and most recently updated on August 9, 1997), applicable to Artouste IIIB and B1 engines, outlined the procedures to be taken to convert former military engines to civilian use. The Bulletin required an "engine Airworthiness statement" containing "(1) the knowledge of the engine configuration and of the compliance with the maintenance instructions defined by Turbomeca (periodic inspections, general overhaul, repair); (2) the statement of conformity with the approved design introduction sheet (certified definition, performance); (3) the compliance with the Airworthiness data approved by the Authority (Airworthiness Directive, Service Bulletin, life limits); (4) the presence of the engine data plate, and (5) that the engine be originally assembled by Turbomeca." The Bulletin said "the contractor must provide the military documentation of the engine follow up certifying that operation, possible storage, engine maintenance and repair were carried in compliance with the engine manufacturer prescriptions. If these documents are missing, the engine can only return to service for civilian operation after being completely disassembled for identification of the parts."

According to Heli-Support, Inc., the engine was converted from military to civilian operation on May 10, 2002. At that time, the engine had accrued 1,598.9 hours since overhaul. Heli-Support, Inc., did not perform the last overhaul. The company said that section "E" of the engine logbook contained all the necessary documentation, including modifications made to the engine, and "all required AD's and [Service] Bulletins were complied with...[and] all engine components and accessories were within Time Between Overhaul limitations."

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

Visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area. According to the weather observation made at 1830 by the Roosevelt Hotshots (a firefighting team), the dry and wet bulb temperatures were 75 degrees and 56 degrees F., respectively; the relative humidity was 33 percent, and the wind was from the northeast, varying from calm conditions to 5 knots.

The 1746 METAR (routine aviation weather) observation at Broomfield-Jefferson County (Jeffco) Airport (BJC), located 45 miles southeast of the accident site, was at follows: Wind, 160 degrees at 17 knots; visibility, 40 statute miles; temperature, 33 degrees C.; dew point, 8 degrees C.; sky condition: scattered clouds, 6,...