FFP: The Buck Stops with Me

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Take some time to learn the role that FFP played in an event involving a Eurocopter AS350-B2 rotorcraft.

Select each of the bullets below to learn more about the investigation. You can also view the full accident report.
 

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Event Description

On December 7, 2011, a Eurocopter AS350-B2 helicopter, operating as a "Twilight Tour" sightseeing trip, unexpectedly made several changes in direction and altitude before crashing into mountainous terrain. Four passengers and the pilot were killed.

The wreckage showed that a flight control input rod was not connected between one of the three hydraulic servos and the main rotor.

Self-Locking Nuts

The investigation found, first of all, that the company's maintenance personnel were reusing nuts that did not meet the criteria specified by Eurocopter and FAA guidance. This negated the safety benefits of one of the two required locking devices.

Fatigue

Both the mechanic and the quality control inspector, who inspected the maintenance work completed by the shift right before the accident, were likely fatigued during the December 6 shift due to an insufficient adjustment period to working an earlier shift than normal.

Work Cards

The maintenance documentation did not clearly delineate specific inspection and completion steps, which can allow these tasks to be more vulnerable to error through human factors.

Select the bold text for more information, and then Next to continue.