Date:	Friday 5 May 2017
Time:	10:30
Type:	Agusta A109S Grand
Owner/operator:	Helix Helicopters Ltd
Registration:	G-PBWR
MSN:	22050
Year of manufacture:	2007
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Incident
Location:	London Stansted Airport (STN/EGSS), Stansted, Essex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Dunsfold Airport (EGTD)
Destination airport:	London-Stansted Airport (STN/EGSS)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AAIB investigation to Agusta A109S Grand, G-PBWR: Left side horizontal stabiliser failed in flight, Stansted Airport, Essex, 5 May 2017. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is an excerpt from the AAIB Report:

"The helicopter was being positioned from Dunsfold Aerodrome to London Stansted Airport to collect a commercial passenger for an onward flight. The ‘A’ Check and pre-flight inspections had been carried out prior to flight and nothing untoward was observed. The pilot reported that there was quite a lot of low-level atmospheric turbulence during the flight, but no more than expected and no unusual handling characteristics were experienced.

On arrival the ground staff indicated there was a problem with the aircraft. On inspection, the pilot observed that the left side horizontal stabiliser had failed at approximately mid-span. The failed portion had remained attached by sections of its skin and electrical cabling

The horizontal stabiliser fitted to this helicopter was included in EASA Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2011-0150, which requires repetitive inspection in the area of the failure and, depending on findings, corrective action. The repetitive inspection was required every 50 flying hours and it had last been completed on this aircraft approximately 45 hours previously, with no adverse findings.

The failure was reported to the regulator via the mandatory occurrence reporting scheme (MOR) and the failed part was returned to the manufacturer for detailed examination.

=Safety action=
Prompted by this event, the manufacturer issued a Service Bulletin providing new instructions for a one-time inspection and new repetitive inspections at a reduced inspection threshold and interval. As a result of this and its own safety assessment, EASA issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive AD 2017-0085-E, on 12 May 2017, to mandate these instructions

=Damage sustained to airframe=
Per the AAIB Report "Failure of left side horizontal stabiliser". The helicopter was repaired and returned to service

1. AAIB Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/59afe9baed915d03379445a8/Agusta_A109S_Grand_G-PBWR_09-17.pdf
2. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-PBWR/834680
3. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/52715/
4. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N35AG.html
5. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-VERU.html
6. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-PBWR.html
7. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-SAFA.html
8. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-MIHD.html
9. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-ZOGG.html
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Stansted_Airport

This Agusta A109S Grand was built in 2005, and was previously registered in the United States as N35AG. The helicopter was first registered in the UK on 20 July 2010 as G-VERU. After two owners as G-VERU, the helicopter was re-registered as G-PBWR on 8 May 2012. The incident at London Stansted Airport took place at this time on 5 May 2017.

Next, G-PBWR was re-registered on 6 June 2018 as G-SAFA, with two owners with the registration, before being re-registered again, this time as G-MIHD on 8 June 2020. On 11 February 2022, the helicopter was re-registered again (for the 6th time), this time as G-ZOGG. Despite being re-registered six times, the last three owners (25 July 2018 to 11 February 2022 inclusive) have been the same company (Myheli Ltd). As at 30 October 2023, this helicopter had accumulated a total of 3155 flying hours on the airframe

G-PBWR: Augusta A.109S Grand at Fairoaks, Surrey (EGTF) 6 August 2017 Helicopter G PBWR Augusta A 109s landing 26 February 2015 at Cambridge UK (5:46pm)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-May-2024 11:55	Dr. John Smith	Added
28-May-2024 11:55	ASN	Updated [Accident report]