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 A Sikorsky S-61N, similar to the accident helicopter | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 2 February 1966 |
| Summary | Mechanical failure |
| Site | Near Faridpur, East Pakistan |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Sikorsky S-61N |
| Operator | Pakistan International Airlines |
| Registration | AP-AOC |
| Flight origin | Dacca, East Pakistan |
| Destination | Faridpur Heliport, Faridpur, East Pakistan |
| Passengers | 21 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 23 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 17 was a scheduled domestic flight from Dacca to Faridpur in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) operated by a Sikorsky S-61 twin-engined helicopter of Pakistan International Airlines. On 2 February 1966 the helicopter operating the flight crashed near Fardipur after an oil leak developed and the main gearbox failed. Twenty passengers and all three crew were killed; one passenger survived.
Accident
The S-61, registered AP-AOC, left Dacca at 14:03 local time on 2 February 1966 and within 15 minutes an oil leak had started from a pipe connected to the main gearbox. The flight continued and while the helicopter was at an altitude of 500 feet (152 m) crossing the Padma River the sole survivor noticed that the oil leak was visible in the passenger cabin. About 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from Faridpur heliport, a bird strike occurred, with a vulture hitting one of the rotor blades on the left side of the helicopter. The helicopter continued normally and the pilot lowered its landing gear at an altitude of 300 feet (91 m) in preparation for the scheduled landing at Faridpur. Although both engines were running the helicopter experienced a loss of power to the main transmission; the pilot corrected the resulting turn to the left, then the helicopter continued rolling and rocking in a steep uncontrolled descent into the ground at 14:23.
Probable cause
The accident was attributed to the disengagement of the left and right spur gear teeth in the main transmission, caused by the load imposed by the failure of the gearbox's rear sleeve bearing journals. The rear sleeve bearing failure was caused by an oil leak although evidence was destroyed by fire and the source of the leak was not established.
References
External links
Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
| Aviation accidents and incidents in 1966 (1966) | |
|---|---|
| Jan 14 Avianca Flight 03Jan 17 Palomares incidentJan 24 Air India Flight 101Jan 28 Lufthansa Flight 005Feb 2 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 17Feb 4 All Nippon Airways Flight 60Feb 16 Aeroflot Flight 302Feb 17 Aeroflot Flight 65Feb 28 NASA T-38 crashMar 4 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 402Mar 5 BOAC Flight 911Mar 18 United Arab Airlines Flight 749Apr 22 American Flyers Airline Flight 280/DApr 23 Aeroflot Flight 2723Apr 27 LANSA Flight 501Jun 3 Felthorpe Trident crashJun 29 Philippine Air Lines Flight 785Jul 4 Air New Zealand DC-8 crashJul 22 Holden's Lightning flightAug 6 Braniff Flight 250Sep 1 Britannia Airways Flight 105Sep 22 Ansett-ANA Flight 149Sep 28 Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 648 hijackingOct 1 West Coast Airlines Flight 956Nov 13 All Nippon Airways Flight 533Nov 15 Pan Am Flight 708Nov 24 TABSO Flight 101Dec 24 Flying Tiger Line Canadair CL-44 crash | |
| 1965 ◄ ► 1967 |
| Pakistan International Airlines | |
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| See also | |
| Aviation accidents and incidents in Bangladesh | |
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| Asterisks (*) denote an incident that took place in East Pakistan, prior to Bangladeshi independence |
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