What's new

As350 Problems?

I hope your not in a position of authority with this obvious bias.

Leave the personal crap out of it. Had this gentleman not been able to turn the HYD back on, he'd very likely have rolled on his back like Mike did. His words. He stated in his incident report and to investigators that he could not control the aircraft with both hands and it continued to roll left. Those are facts, not personal biases.

You ned to remove your EC-coloured glasses and look at the facts in this case. Unfortunately for you, you don't have the facts - all you have is speculation and heresay, and are getting it third hand at best. Several dozen others have looked at the facts, and have come to a different conclusion that you.

Your experiences with belt failures with CHC are irrelevant. There have been a million failures of this stupid belt and the vast majority have been non-events. The belt on this aircraft didn't fail, and it's a damn good thing for those three persons that it didn't, for the reasons I have stated previously. Something has changed, and nobody knows what it is.
 
A million? C'mon now, would you care to exagerate a little bit more?
 
Allow me to throw something out here.
First I notice that we are dangerously close to sounding more like the " discusssion " just before the bar closes - egos to the front, common sense and manners to the back.

That being said I think CTD has hit the nail on the head.

Something has changed. But what????????

Have they changed or modified: Servos? Hydraulic fluid? Accumulators? Pumps? Control path? Switches? Torques on a bolt?
Is it a control jamming VS a servo jam. Is it happening at a specfic cyclic / collective setting?

If a collective servo Jams then the swash plate will have a different pivot point and all kinds of new and fascinating things will happen with every cyclic input.
I recall reading something about this some years ago - perhaps in the 355 couse book or RFM.


This was not a problem 10 years ago so something must have changed.

I realize that gross weights have risen so no hydraulic control forces must have also. Is this a factor????

Have they thought of throwing in the twinstar dual hydraulic pack - or would that be legally impossible from the lawsuit standpoint? ( If we modify it then you are admitting there was something wrong with it to begin with. )
Would that just double your trouble????

Play nice:
Fire at will:
Cheers
Sharkbait

PS Biggles: Home Feb 20 - alert XK47
 
If we "N" register our A-Stars we can operate them in Canada under the Bi-lateral Agreement with the U.S. This may be the only way to get the pilots PPC done, so why not sub lease our A/C to an American Operator and operate them under their operating license. FAA pilots license requires exams and a medical. A&P schools have conversions courses available in Seattle. No AD. No Problem. How's this for over reacting!
Heard through the grape vine that Eurocopter France has asked TC to temporaily delay the AD release until they are finished with their investigation.
 
Excellent idea, but do you want the USA style of litigation in the event of an accident ?????
 
We will be assimilated eventually anyways, "resistance is futile".
Hope there are lots of 407's for sale!
 
For all those waiting for the New Astar AD by TC tomarrow, It has come from good sources that it has been cancelled!!!

Hopefully Eurocopter will come to the industry professionals and talk it over for some big decisions that have to be made concerning cold weather ops and Hydraulics in general!

Everyone fly Safe

Lets attack the problem here, not the people. If we all brainstorm here, maybe there is a logical explanation.
 
You can fly an "N" registered aircraft in canada (for hire) with your canadian licence and your "m" licenced engineer can sign it out as well. The aircraft has only to be operated under the provisions of your canadian operations certificate! :huh:...as per the lease agreement...
 
Can I add my two cents on this without being browbeaten by a particular individual?

First off, to address the chance there was something 'changed' with the servo's...

If I am not mistaken, both types of servos, Samm (Goodrich) and Dunlop have been identified in hard overs. Might I be wrong to suggest that the servo's can be eliminated as a cause, simply because it is highly unlikely that both different types would cause similiar problems.

Next, look at what is left in the system, as stated earlier, the belt did not fail on this last incident, so that can be ruled out, unless slippage was the culprit. Leaving the pump, and various lines, accumulators and solenoids. We can assume the pump was tested right? We can also assume accumulator pressure was tested and fell with-in limits right? Can we also assume that the electrical wiring for the system and accumulators was checked as well? How about if the solenoids had proper contact and were making a good connection themselves? Lets say hypothetically one accumulator wasn't discharged because of an intermittent wiring fault, how would this play out in the whole situation?
Just a few more things to ponder. Inquiring minds want to know.
 
Forwarded:

To all HAC members

No action will be taken against the AS 350

For the time being, no action will be taken that would hamper AS 350 operations. Eurocopter will undertake entensive cold weather testing of the AS 350 hydraulics system as of February 5th. If all goes well final resolution of the issues raised by AD 2003-15 will occur after test results have been analysed and a comprehensive report submitted to TC.

For your information you will find attached a copy of the draft revision of AD 2003-15 that was submitted to HAC for comment on Friday January 23rd at 17:00 and which was, at that time, scheduled to be issued Tuesday January 27th 2004. You will also find a copy of the HAC response submitted Saturday January 24th at 17:00.

If any new information becomes available HAC will keep its members posted.

Brian Jenner
HAC, President & CEO
Tel 418-656-0900
Fax 418-656-0833
 
You're right CTD, I obviously don't have access to the information that you do, and you're right that I also am third party to alot of my information. Feel free to lump me into the lower class status because of it, but don't forget, there are many more members in this site who also share my level of knowledge.
 
Hightower, I'm not 100% sure here, but when I talked with an OMNR pilot this summer, he mentioned that they had some hyd problems during the warm months. There were abnormal control forces while performing the hyd off test prior to take off. This happened this summer, but like I said, I'm not 100% on this.

Talking about poor designs, who thought up the dual hyd system in the 205 with 212 blades ?? Lose #2, and the engine and you have an unrecoverable situation, since the collective can't go down far enough. :down: Someone sure wasn't thinking on that one.


Cheers
 
Interest points and observations CTD and Sharbait.

Oops, being paiged! Gottta run
Sharkbait, XK47 is advised!
 
Randy

Yes you are correct in regards to an OMNR pilot having servo problems during the summer months. This I know for fact. Although I am not fully aware of what the end result was I do believe that a servo was taken from the ship and sent for further testing. In addition I heard that officials from eurocopter came down to investigate.
 
Thanks PJ, glad to know the memory hasn't gone completely. 😀

Cheers
 
Back
Top