Preliminary Reports
Compressor Blade Failure Detected in Submerged Helicopter
Garlick Helicopters UH-1H, Jan. 9, 2020, Ben Boyd Reservoir, New South Wales, Australia – In a second update published October 30, the ATSB reported that a borescope examination found a broken rotor blade in the compressor section of the engine of a firefighting helicopter that ditched in the Ben Boyd Reservoir following a loss of power. A subsequent teardown inspection by the manufacturer found that the number 21 roller bearing, which supports the front of the power turbine shaft, and the number 1 ball bearing, supporting the front of the rotating compressor assembly, had worn to the point that they could no longer maintain centerline alignment of their respective rotating assemblies.