Eurocopter Deutschland MBB BK 117 C-2 N145HN

Summary

On 26 April 2016 at about 19:00 local time, a Eurocopter Deutschland MBB BK 117 C-2 registered N145HN, operated by Air Methods Corp, was involved in an accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. 5 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

26 April 2016 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

West Penn Hospital Heliport (PN80)

Coordinates

40.4619, -79.9447

Aircraft

Eurocopter Deutschland MBB BK 117 C-2

Registration

N145HN

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2009

Engines

2

Operator

Air Methods Corp

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Grafton → Pittsburgh

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16LA265

Nobody was injured.

Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly secure the left vertical fin cowling during recent maintenance, which resulted in its separation and subsequent contact with the tail rotor system during flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident flight, which was an on-demand air medical flight, was the second flight of the day following maintenance work that had been performed on the helicopter earlier that morning. The commercial pilot reported that the flight was uneventful but that, after landing, he noticed that the left vertical fin cowling had partially separated and contacted a tail rotor blade. Further examination of the helicopter revealed that the right vertical fin cowling remained secured but that 8 of the 11 fasteners on the left vertical fin cowling were unlocked, consistent with maintenance personnel not properly securing them following the maintenance work that was performed earlier that day.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.