Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 N228MT

Summary

On 20 July 2022 at about 01:41 local time, a Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 registered N228MT, operated by Air Evac Lifeteam, was involved in an accident near Mount Vernon, Illinois, United States. 3 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

20 July 2022 at 01:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Mount Vernon, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Mount Vernon (MVN)

Coordinates

38.3179, -88.8631

Aircraft

Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135

Registration

N228MT

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2010

Engines

2

Operator

Air Evac Lifeteam

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cahokia → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CEN22LA328

Nobody was injured.

The inadequate securement of the cloth fire extinguisher cover, which resulted in it being blown off the fire extinguisher and ingested into the helicopter’s fenestron during the landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the landing, the pilot lowered the helicopter air ambulance down to the concrete pad. Shortly before touchdown, a cloth fire extinguisher cover from a nearby mobile fueling unit was blown airborne from the main rotor system wash. The cloth fire extinguisher cover was ingested into the tail rotor (the fenestron). During the cloth fire extinguisher cover ingestion sequence, the fenestron hub flexed, the metal fenestron hub cover detached, and it was also ingested. The pilot was able to land the helicopter without further incident. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fenestron. The evidence indicated that the ingestion of the metal fenestron hub cover contributed to the severity of the damage sustained. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and the engines that would have precluded normal operation. The investigation revealed that the cloth fire extinguisher cover, which did not have a lanyard installed, was not secured with the retention bracket for the fire extinguisher on the mobile fueling unit. The operator additionally reported that foreign object debris checks are conducted by crew members anytime they are on the pad and that the mobile fueling unit is inspected during the daily fuel quality check. The Accident Investigation Board Norway along with the European Aviation Safety Agency, previously issued a formal safety recommendation to Eurocopter (Airbus) regarding the securement of the metal fenestron hub cover.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.