Aircraft
Certification Service Washington, DC U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration
AIR-21-13
August 13, 2021
This is information only. Recommendations
aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) informs
registered owners and operators of an airworthiness concern for Airbus
Helicopters Models AS350 B2 and AS350 B3 helicopters under Type
Certificate Data Sheet H9EU. Specifically, this SAIB provides a design
modification to prevent inadvertent activation of the floor-mounted
Fuel Shutoff Lever (FSOL).
At this time, the airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that
would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 39.
Background
On March 11, 2018, an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B2 lost engine power
during cruise flight and subsequently ditched in the East River in New
York, New York. The pilot sustained minor injuries, the five passengers
aboard drowned, and the helicopter was substantially damaged.
Investigation determined that the fatal accident was due to a chain of
events, starting with loss of engine power due to inadvertent
activation of the floor mounted FSOL by a passenger seated in the front
seat.
In this accident, the air tour operator permitted the passenger in the
front to leave his seat while being tethered by a supplemental
passenger restraint system. The passenger’s tether inadvertently caught
on the FSOL and moved it to the shutoff position.
This SAIB addresses the risk of external interference with critical
rotorcraft controls, specifically the FSOL. This safety issue is the
subject of the National Transportation Safety Board Safety
Recommendation A-19-33 to modify the floor mounted FSOL on AS350
helicopters. This safety issue is also the subject of European Aviation
Safety Agency (EASA) Service Information Bulletin No. 2021-05 dated
March 19, 2021.
Recommendations
In response to the accident and subsequent safety recommendation,
Airbus Helicopters developed a design modification to replace the stop
plate of the floor-mounted FSOL to better protect it from accidental
activation due to external influence. This redesigned plate adds a
sharp stop so that the pilot will need to operate the FSOL handle in
two stages, preventing it from being accidentally operated due to
external forces. This design modification is detailed in Airbus
Helicopters Service Bulletin No. AS350-76.00.24 Revision 0 dated
December 12, 2020. A similar modification is under development for the
other models of the AS350/EC130 legacy fleet having a floor mounted
FSOL.
The FAA recommends owners and operators, especially air tour operators
and those operators which permit passengers in the front seat, to
incorporate the design modification detailed in Airbus Helicopters
Service Bulletin No. AS350-76.00.24 Revision 0, dated December 11, 2020.
For Further Information Contact
Kristi Bradley, Program Manager, AIR-722, Operational Safety Branch,
10101 Hillwood Pkwy, Fort Worth, TX 76177; phone: (817) 222-5485;
email: kristin.bradley@faa.gov.