Narrative:

On the stated date and time, while on a training flight, the right side transmission cover for an eurocopter AS355-F1 twin STAR departed the aircraft while in-flight in the traffic pattern at ldj. The flight was being conducted as a part 91 training flight. No flight plan was filed or required, but was flight followed by company operations. The flight was a familiarization flight with a prospective new hire. During the preflight inspection, I (training captain) was called away from the aircraft to assist our mechanics with the lifting and turning of a transmission from another helicopter. I then returned and moved another ship out of the way so that the training aircraft could be towed out of the hangar to the flight line. The aircraft was started and the following maneuvers were performed: hover taxi, hovering pedal turns 360 degrees both directions, takeoff, straight and level flight, and 2 level 360 degree turns at 45 degree bank at 90 KIAS -- one left and one right. After entering a left downwind to runway 27 at ldj airport, I instructed the pilot as to the flight path I wanted him to fly. As he set up the approach, slowing the aircraft gently, I told him to start his turn onto the base leg. As the aircraft leveled out, I felt something hit the aircraft, which caused a momentary shuddering. I took control of the aircraft and notified operations that I believed I had suffered a bird strike (there is a landfill close to the airport and seagulls are common to the airport area) and to have the mechanic meet the aircraft to inspect it upon landing. A normal approach and landing was made. Inspection revealed that the right side transmission cover had departed the aircraft. The cover was located in a vacant lot near the airport and recovered. The condition of the latches seemed to indicate that the latches were not in the locked position. I can only guess that I undid the latches and was called away and then failed to close them, or that I did not close them properly. I can only offer as a cause, the fact that I allowed myself to be taken away from a preflight and after having done so, not go back and start the preflight all over again. The pilot that I was to fly with accompanied me and assisted the mechanics, too. He also, at my direction, assisted me in moving the aircraft. He had no time in type. His total helicopter time was 3500 hours mostly in bell 206's and 412's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE R SIDE PWR PLANT XMISSION COWLING FELL OFF THE AEROSPATIALE AS55 TWIN STAR HELI DURING APCH TO LNDG TRAINING FLT.

Narrative: ON THE STATED DATE AND TIME, WHILE ON A TRAINING FLT, THE R SIDE XMISSION COVER FOR AN EUROCOPTER AS355-F1 TWIN STAR DEPARTED THE ACFT WHILE INFLT IN THE TFC PATTERN AT LDJ. THE FLT WAS BEING CONDUCTED AS A PART 91 TRAINING FLT. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED OR REQUIRED, BUT WAS FLT FOLLOWED BY COMPANY OPS. THE FLT WAS A FAMILIARIZATION FLT WITH A PROSPECTIVE NEW HIRE. DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION, I (TRAINING CAPT) WAS CALLED AWAY FROM THE ACFT TO ASSIST OUR MECHS WITH THE LIFTING AND TURNING OF A XMISSION FROM ANOTHER HELI. I THEN RETURNED AND MOVED ANOTHER SHIP OUT OF THE WAY SO THAT THE TRAINING ACFT COULD BE TOWED OUT OF THE HANGAR TO THE FLT LINE. THE ACFT WAS STARTED AND THE FOLLOWING MANEUVERS WERE PERFORMED: HOVER TAXI, HOVERING PEDAL TURNS 360 DEGS BOTH DIRECTIONS, TKOF, STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT, AND 2 LEVEL 360 DEG TURNS AT 45 DEG BANK AT 90 KIAS -- ONE L AND ONE R. AFTER ENTERING A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 27 AT LDJ ARPT, I INSTRUCTED THE PLT AS TO THE FLT PATH I WANTED HIM TO FLY. AS HE SET UP THE APCH, SLOWING THE ACFT GENTLY, I TOLD HIM TO START HIS TURN ONTO THE BASE LEG. AS THE ACFT LEVELED OUT, I FELT SOMETHING HIT THE ACFT, WHICH CAUSED A MOMENTARY SHUDDERING. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND NOTIFIED OPS THAT I BELIEVED I HAD SUFFERED A BIRD STRIKE (THERE IS A LANDFILL CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND SEAGULLS ARE COMMON TO THE ARPT AREA) AND TO HAVE THE MECH MEET THE ACFT TO INSPECT IT UPON LNDG. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE R SIDE XMISSION COVER HAD DEPARTED THE ACFT. THE COVER WAS LOCATED IN A VACANT LOT NEAR THE ARPT AND RECOVERED. THE CONDITION OF THE LATCHES SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT THE LATCHES WERE NOT IN THE LOCKED POS. I CAN ONLY GUESS THAT I UNDID THE LATCHES AND WAS CALLED AWAY AND THEN FAILED TO CLOSE THEM, OR THAT I DID NOT CLOSE THEM PROPERLY. I CAN ONLY OFFER AS A CAUSE, THE FACT THAT I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE TAKEN AWAY FROM A PREFLT AND AFTER HAVING DONE SO, NOT GO BACK AND START THE PREFLT ALL OVER AGAIN. THE PLT THAT I WAS TO FLY WITH ACCOMPANIED ME AND ASSISTED THE MECHS, TOO. HE ALSO, AT MY DIRECTION, ASSISTED ME IN MOVING THE ACFT. HE HAD NO TIME IN TYPE. HIS TOTAL HELI TIME WAS 3500 HRS MOSTLY IN BELL 206'S AND 412'S.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.