Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+ N558MT

Summary

On 9 March 2023 at about 23:57 local time, a Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+ registered N558MT, operated by Med-Trans Corporation, was involved in an accident near Franklin, North Carolina, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 March 2023 at 23:57

Classification

Accident

Location

Franklin, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.2181, -83.4928

Aircraft

Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+

Registration

N558MT

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2012

Engines

2

Operator

Med-Trans Corporation

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Murphey → Asheville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA23LA147

3 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s improper decision to review an aircraft logbook while enroute, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, prior to the flight, he determined the highest obstacle enroute was 6,100 ft with several 5,000 to 5,500 ft peaks along the route. In addition, he noted that during the flight, the end of evening nautical twilight would occur. After departure, he dialed 5,500 ft into the autopilot and leveled off. He went to don the night vision goggles and noted that they were on the copilot seat on top of an aircraft logbook. He went to move the logbook to the pilot door compartment, where it was typically stowed for flight, and decided to check the flight times against the times that maintenance was due. At that point, he noticed the cloud ceiling was lowering and dialed in 5,000 ft into the autopilot, then “went back heads down” to continue his review of the logbook. Then, the flight nurse asked for an updated estimated time enroute, and when the pilot looked up, he saw the helicopter was approaching a tree covered peak. He applied aft cyclic in order to climb; however the tail boom struck several trees, resulting in the vertical stabilizer separating from the tail boom. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a road, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.