Maintenance and Modifications
Extex, Rolls-Royce settle lawsuits on PMA’d part
On Dec.

On Dec. 1, 2000, a nonfatal helicopter accident in Rockport, Texas, became the first in a series of events that culminated recently in settlements of lawsuits involving the helicopter’s Rolls-Royce 250 engine. The accident occurred when the engine’s compressor adapter coupling failed, decoupling the compressor from the turbine.
In an accident on June 15, 2003, four people were killed during a tour flight over Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii when the same part failed, generating the lawsuits.

The manufacturer of the coupling, Extex, brought the failure of the Rockport accident coupling to the attention of Rolls-Royce and the FAA, yet according to Extex president Larry Shiembob both paid little attention to the coupling problem until the fatal Hawaii accident.

Loading…