ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 186505
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| Date: | Friday 15 April 2016 |
| Time: | 19:55 |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B2 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | AirMethods Corporation |
| Registration: | N561AM |
| MSN: | 4381 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2007 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3386 hours |
| Engine model: | Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, Jasper, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | Gainesville, GA (38GA) |
| Jasper, GA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter was approaching the helipad with a direct 11-knot tailwind gusting to 16 knots. About 250 ft above ground level, the commercial pilot lost tail rotor and cyclic authority, and the helicopter pitched forward and accelerated toward the ground. The pilot recognized the onset of vortex ring state, reduced engine power, and attempted to initiate a go-around; however, insufficient altitude remained to complete the maneuver, and the helicopter landed hard, resulting in a partial separation of the tailboom. The operator reported and postaccident examination confirmed that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter before the accident.
Probable Cause: The pilot's loss of helicopter control due to vortex ring state, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to conduct the landing approach with a tailwind.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Images:
Photo: FAA
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Apr-2016 16:15 | Aerossurance | Added |
| 18-Apr-2016 19:48 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 22-Jul-2018 17:04 | Aerossurance | Updated [Total occupants, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Jul-2018 18:49 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Jul-2018 19:04 | harro | Updated [Narrative, Photo, ] |
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