EMS Bell Helicopter Experienced Hard Landing
December 25, 2009
EMS Bell Helicopter Experienced Hard Landing
On December 25, 2009, about 1258 central standard time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N600CE, was substantially damaged during a hard landing following a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from the Wise Regional Health System Helipad (XA57), in Decatur, Texas. The commercial pilot and flight medic sustained serious injuries while the flight nurse sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Air Evac EMS Inc., of North Plains, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The cross-country flight was departing for Wichita Falls, Texas, to pick up a patient.
According to the pilot, after takeoff and while approximately 100 feet in the air, the single-engine helicopter experienced a complete loss of engine power. The pilot performed an autorotation back to the originating helipad. The helicopter experienced a hard landing before coming to rest in an upright position.
FAA INSPECTION
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that responded to the accident site, the helicopter’s lower fuselage sustained structural damage.
The helicopter, which was manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada, was recovered to secure storage for further examination.
December 16, 2009
2 Pilots Seriously Injured in Hawaii
On December 16, 2009, about 1329 Hawaiian standard time, an Aerospatiale AS350BA helicopter, N87EW, operated by Sunshine Helicopters, Inc., Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, experienced a total loss of engine power in cruise flight on the island of Maui. In an autorotative descent, the pilot made a forced landing about 1.3 miles southeast of the Hana (uncontrolled) airport. The helicopter impacted hard on uneven, downsloping, terrain and was destroyed. The commercial certificated pilot-in-command and the check pilot, who held an airline transport pilot certificate, were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed. The instructional flight was performed under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and it originated from the Kahului Airport about 1257.
The check pilot was the operator’s assigned Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) principal operations inspector (POI). The purpose of the flight was for the POI to administer a 14 CFR Part 135.293 competency check to the pilot. Satisfactory completion of the check ride, and other requirements, would enable the pilot to continue operating on demand commercial air tours for his employer, Sunshine Helicopters, holder of an air carrier operating certificate.
According to Sunshine’s director of operations (DO), at the time of the flight the accident pilot was current in the operation of the helicopter. Several hours prior to the accident flight, the pilot had flown an air taxi flight in N87EW, and no maintenance squawks were noted. The helicopter operated normally, and it was dispatched for the pilot’s use later in the day for his FAA check ride.
Sunshine’s DO further indicated that during the check ride it was a customary procedure to simulate an engine failure. He opined that during the simulation the engine lost power. The power loss event appeared to have coincided with commencement of the simulation and the POI’s retardation of the helicopter’s fuel flow control (throttle).
The FAA coordinator reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that performance of a simulated loss of engine power during this type of check ride was an authorized routine procedure used in evaluating the competency of airmen.
The helicopter had been converted from its original manufactured AS350B type design. In part, the conversion involved installation of a Honeywell LTS101-600A-3A engine, modification of its electrical system and engine performance gauges, installation of a tail boom strake, and installation of modified tail rotor blades. The principal changes, commonly referred to as an “FX” conversion, altered the helicopter’s operating parameters as indicated by supplements included in the helicopter’s flight manual.
Safety Board Examination
The Safety Board investigation team is continuing its examination of selected helicopter components to ascertain their functionality. Also, a review is in progress regarding (1) pertinent FAA policies and procedures related to performance of power loss simulations during check rides, (2) requirements for familiarity with modified aircraft, (3) conformance with specified engine operational requirements, and (4) the POI’s familiarity with the AS350BA’s FX conversion in concert with Sunshine’s approved training program.
December 6, 2009
7 Survive Aerospatiale Accident in Arizona
On December 6, 2009, about 1030 Pacific standard time, an Aerospatiale AS 355F1 helicopter, N548SA, was substantially damaged during cruise flight following the left engine cowling door opening in flight near Temple Bar, Arizona. The helicopter was registered to and operated by HeliUSA Airways Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The commercial pilot and six passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight. The air tour flight originated from the Mc Carran International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, about 1000, with an intended destination of Grand Canyon, Arizona.
The pilot reported that during cruise flight, he heard a “thumping” noise followed by slight feedback within the cyclic control. The pilot contacted a second company helicopter to have them visually inspect the helicopter in flight. The pilot of the second helicopter informed the pilot that the left engine cowling appeared to be open and partially separated. The pilot initiated a precautionary landing to a dirt road and landed without further incident.
FAA Findings
Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that two of the three main rotor blades were damaged. One main rotor blade exhibited a one-inch long gouge about one-quarter of an inch in depth near the blade root. A portion of the left engine cowling was separated and not located.
October 8, 2009
NTSB: Medical Helicopter Lacked Safety Features
WASHINGTON — A medical helicopter that crashed in South Carolina last month, killing three crew members, lacked safety features recommended by experts, a federal official said Thursday.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson told The Washington Post for a story posted on its Web site that the helicopter did not have night-vision equipment or a system to warn the crew that it was flying too close to obstacles or the ground. The NTSB has urged medical helicopter programs to adopt each of those features, saying they could have prevented some accidents.
Neither a call nor e-mail placed by The Associated Press to Knudson was immediately returned.
The helicopter had just dropped off a patient at a Charleston hospital on Sept. 25 and was flying to Conway, about 90 miles to the northeast, when it crashed in Georgetown County.
NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt had said the helicopter had flown between two intense thunderstorms and it was raining when it crashed. He could not say if the conditions were a factor and no cause has been determined.
In addition, the weather station at the Georgetown County Airport was not working because of a lightning strike Sept. 4 “that completely fried the equipment” and was awaiting repairs, said Jamey Kempson, an airport engineer with the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission.
Prior to the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot last radioed air traffic control at 11:05 p.m., saying the crew was about four miles from an airport near Charleston and had it in sight. It crashed about 25 minutes later.
Crew members killed were pilot Patrick Walters, 45, of Murrells Inlet; flight nurse Diana Conner, 42, of Florence; and paramedic Randolph Claxton Dove, 39, of Bladenboro, N.C.
October 4, 2009
Memorial for Flight Crew Killed in Crash
Conway, SC - More than a week after a deadly helicopter crash in Georgetown, hundreds gathered at Coastal Carolina University to say goodbye.
Flying was more than their job; it was a part of their lives.
“Diana, Patrick and Claxton helped make our world better and I am truly grateful,” Bob Peiser, CEO of OmniFlight, said. OmniFlight is the owner of the medical helicopter that crashed on September 25, 2009.
In the air, 45 year old Patrick Walters, 39 year old Claxton Dove and 42 year old Diana Connor were part of a medical helicopter crew that flew critical need patients to hospitals for care.
Officials say on their way back from dropping off a patient at MUSC, their helicopter crashed just south of Georgetown.
Sunday’s memorial was a chance for the public to grieve with the families and a chance for those families to say goodbye.
“He lived life to the fullest, never looking back,” Will Dove, Claxton Dove’s brother said. “Rest in peace my brother. This world was a better place because of you.”
“He was a man, a legend and a pilot,” Patrick Walter’s friend Chuck Petrill said. “He would be the guy that would pull over on the side of the road and help a person change a tire even if he didn’t know them.”
“Diana’s life was an example of love itself unconditional from its beginning and sacrificial until its end,” Megan Gunn, Diana Connor’s friend, said.
The NTSB is still investigating the cause of that crash and the investigation could take up to a year.
September 26, 2009
OmniFlight Medical Helicopter Crash Kills Three
Georgetown, SC - Three people are dead after a medical helicopter crash in Georgetown. Authorities say the accident happened just after 11 p.m. Friday. The crash site is a mile south of the Georgetown Airport. Authorities say the victims are 45 year old pilot Patrick Walters, 42 year old flight nurse Diana Connor and 39 year old flight paramedic Randolph Claxton Dove.
What should have been a life saving mission, turned deadly in an instant Friday night. Authorities say a medical helicopter operated by OmniFlight took a patient from Georgetown to MUSC Friday evening.
“It’s a very safe aircraft,” Anthony DiNota, Chief Operating Officer for OmniFlight, explained in a press conference Saturday.
After dropping off the patient, officials say the pilot, flight nurse and paramedic headed back to home base in Conway.
“We do a position check every fifteen minutes and they didn’t report in,” Joel Hochhalter, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for OmniFlight, said.
That silence began a frantic hour. Officials with OmniFlight say the flight crew never made a distress call. Authorities say at 11:16 p.m. Carolina Life Care Communications lost contact with the aircraft and at 11:30 further communication attempts with the helicopter were unsuccessful.
Georgetown County Sheriff’s deputies began searching for the helicopter shortly afterwards and found the wreckage at 2 a.m.
“The wooded area is a mile south of the airport,” Sam Hodge, Emergency Manager for Georgetown County, described. “It is a very tight, contained area.”
Authorities say the helicopter caught on fire and that is making identifying the bodies nearly impossible. The Georgetown County Coroner is waiting on dental records to positively identify the bodies.
“These are the individuals that we deal with every single day,” Hodge added. “It’s a sad moment.”
The FAA and NTSB are on scene and beginning their investigation. Officials say it may take weeks or months to determine what brought the helicopter down.
Officials are not commenting if weather could have caused the crash. OmniFlight officials say conditions Friday night should not have prevented the helicopter from flying.
January 6, 2009
Louisiana Helicopter Crash - Legal Help Nationwide
Louisiana Helicopter Crash
PHI, Inc. the owner of the Sikorsky S76 medium transport helicopter that crashed in Louisiana on Sunday announced the names of the men killed.
- Allen Boudreaux Ama, LA Dynamic
- Andrew Moricio Morgan City, LA Dynamic
- Ezequiel Cantu Morgan City, LA Dynamic
- Randy Tarpley Jonesville, LA Dynamic
- Charles W. Nelson Pensacola, FL MMR
- Jorey A. Rivero Bridge City, LA MMR
- Thomas E. Ballenger Eufaula, AL PHI Pilot-in-Command
- Vyarl W. Martin Hurst, TX PHI Second-in Command
The only surviving passenger from this Louisiana PHI helicopter crash is Steven Yeltin of Floresville, TX, who works for Dynamic. Yeltin is listed in critical condition at a Houma, Louisiana hospital. These names had been withheld until next of kin were notified as indicated in the previous article concerning this PHI helicopter crash
This is the second tragic accident for PHI within the past year. It comes on the heels of another deadly crash involving a Rotorcraft helicopter headed to an oil platform last month. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) crash investigators have started investigating the crash site, taking statements and begin debris inspection and collection.
PHI is a primary provider of helicopter services to oil and gas platforms that dot the coast of Louisiana. In June, a PHI Air Medical helicopter crashed in East Texas, killing four. The medivac helicopter crash in the Sam Houston National Forest killed the pilot, paramedic, nurse and a patient who was being transported from Huntsville to Houston. That crew agreed to transport the patient after another helicopter company abandoned the mission saying that cloud cover was too low, making visibility poor in the early-morning darkness.
Talk to a Helicopter Crash Lawyer
If you have lost a loved one in this tragic PHI Helicopter Crash in Louisiana, then call us and speak to an attorney that understands helicopter crashes involving PHI and is very familar with PHI, Inc and other crashes, especially the 2008 crash in East Texas as the Willis Law Firm is representing one of the family of one of the passengers. Often we can fly and visit with you in person within 24 hours to meet you and explain the NTSB crash investigation process and the estimated timeline of events surrounding crash investigations and the legal process and help you and your family in filing the necessary paperwork that is necessary in sudden accidents and wrongful deaths.
Let us know if we can help.
Call Us 24/7 Toll Free 1-800-883-9858
January 5, 2009
PHI Helicopter Crash Near New Orleans, LA
PHI, Inc Helicopter Crashes Killing Eight
[Jan. 5, 2009] Eight people were killed and a ninth was reported critically injured after a PHI,Inc helicopter bound for the offshore oil fields crashed Sunday afternoon in marshlands about 100 miles southwest of New Orleans.
NTSB Investigating Latest PHI Helicopter Crash
The helicopter, operated by PHI Inc. was carrying two pilots and seven passengers, The PHI’s helicopter crashed about 3:30 p.m. shortly after taking off from PHI’s base in Amelia, said Richard Rovinelli, a spokesman for the company. The identities of the victims have not yet been released. The cause of this latest PHI helicopter crash isn’t known at this time, but the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) crash investigators are expected to arrive today according to the company spokesman for PHI.
PHI also involved in Air Ambulance Crash in East Texas
PHI is a primary provider of helicopter services to oil and gas platforms that dot the coast of Louisiana. It also flies medical helicopters. Workers typically are flown to and from their worksites from coastal flight bases. In June, a PHI Air Medical helicopter crashed in East Texas, killing four. The medivac helicopter crash in the Sam Houston National Forest killed the pilot, paramedic, nurse and a patient who was being transported from Huntsville to Houston. That crew agreed to transport the patient after another helicopter company abandoned the mission saying that cloud cover was too low, making visibility poor in the early-morning darkness.
Talk to a Helicopter Crash Lawyer
If you have lost a loved one in this tragic PHI Helicopter Crash in Louisiana, then call us and speak to an attorney that understands helicopter crashes involving PHI and is very familar with PHI, Inc and other crashes, especially the 2008 crash in East Texas. Often we can fly and visit with you in person within 24 hours to meet you and explain the NTSB crash investigation process and the estimated timeline of events surrounding crash investigations and the legal process and help you and your family in filing the necessary paperwork that is necessary in sudden accidents and wrongful deaths. Let us know if we can help.
Call Us 24/7 Toll Free 1-800-883-9858
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