Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 N639ME

Summary

On 6 November 2015 at about 11:00 local time, a Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 registered N639ME, operated by Center FOR Emergency Medicine of Western, was involved in an accident near Monongahela, Pennsylvania, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 November 2015 at 11:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Monongahela, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Monongahela Valley Hospital (5PA5)

Coordinates

40.1822, -79.9100

Aircraft

Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135

Registration

N639ME

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2007

Engines

2

Operator

Center FOR Emergency Medicine of Western

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Monongahela → Newtown Square

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

ERA16CA060

Nobody was injured.

The inadequate securing of the wheeled fire extinguisher's cover which resulted in it being blown off of the fire extinguisher and ingested into the helicopter's fenestron during takeoff, resulting in a loss of directional control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After liftoff during a helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) flight with a patient on board, the pilot of the HEMS helicopter brought it in to a 1 to 2 foot hover and was preparing to make a right pedal turn into the wind, when a cover from a wheeled fire extinguisher, was blown airborne by the main rotor wash and ingested into the tail rotor (fenestron) of the helicopter. The helicopter lost tail rotor authority and began to spin clockwise. The pilot lowered the collective and the helicopter rotated approximately 150 degrees, then impacted the ground and continued to rotate another 20 to 30 degrees, for a total of 170 to180 degree turn, and came to rest. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the landing gear skid tubes, fenestron composite housing, and the forward cross tube gimbal which had pushed up into a composite non-structural area of the fuselage. It was discovered, that the wheeled fire extinguisher that the cover had blown off of, had been inspected for serviceability just four days prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.