ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 20339
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| Date: | Friday 30 May 2008 |
| Time: | 20:50 |
| Type: |  Eurocopter EC 135P2 |
| Owner/operator: | Air Methods Corp (AMC) |
| Registration: | N238AM |
| MSN: | 0565 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2007 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 162 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney PW206B2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Pottsville, PA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | Pottsville, PA (PS95) |
| Wayne Township, PA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After taking off on a helicopter emergency medical service mission, the twin-engine helicopter climbed approximately 75 feet. The pilot lowered the nose, but the helicopter would not climb or accelerate normally. The pilot saw 125 percent on one of his gauges, but was not sure which gauge it was as he was looking outside. A "gong" sounded, similar to what the pilot had heard when doing "max takeoffs," but he did not hear an engine-out horn or see any warning lights. The pilot also noticed that one torque indication was declining to "near zero" percent, and the helicopter began to yaw. The pilot was able to correct the yawing moment with anti-torque inputs, and remembered lowering the collective and "pulling pitch" before the helicopter impacted the ground in a level attitude. The No. 1 engine was running as the pilot exited the helicopter, but the No. 2 engine was not. Examinations at the accident site revealed that the helicopter, after lifting off from the heliport, flew out of ground effect over down-sloping terrain, settled, then struck a parked semi-trailer about 80 feet below the heliport. No preimpact mechanical anomalies of the helicopter, engines, or engine switches were found. As part of the pre-takeoff confirmation check, the pilot was required to ensure that both main engine switches were in the FLIGHT position; however, onboard recorded data revealed that the No. 2 main engine switch was in the IDLE position during the takeoff.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to ensure that both engine switches were in the FLIGHT position for takeoff.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/stabilised-hover-prevents-loc/
Location
Media:
#OTD in 2008 a US HEMS EC135 took off with only one engine running. Gravity took command… https://t.co/AcNXL3ox1n #airambulance #helicopter #accident #flightsafety #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/Z0x6bhPIpe
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) May 30, 2021
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-May-2008 23:23 | Fusko | Added |
| 01-Jun-2008 11:35 | Fusko | Updated |
| 02-Jun-2008 11:14 | harro | Updated |
| 18-Aug-2010 15:35 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative] |
| 05-Mar-2013 11:21 | TB | Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-May-2016 09:18 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 07-May-2016 09:19 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:20 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 03-Dec-2017 10:50 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-May-2021 09:53 | Aerossurance | Updated [Operator, Nature, Source, Embed code] |
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