ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 280627
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| Date: | Tuesday 19 July 2022 |
| Time: | 19:41 LT |
| Type: |  Eurocopter EC 135P2 |
| Owner/operator: | Air Evac Lifeteam |
| Registration: | N228MT |
| MSN: | 0908 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2010 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1271 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mount Vernon Airport (KMVN), IL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | Saint Louis-Bi-State Parks Airport, MO (CPS/KCPS) |
| Mount Vernon Airport, IL (KMVN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
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.
Probable Cause: 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.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN22LA328
http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/hems-fenestron-fod/
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N228MT
Location
Media:
CCTV caught a HEMS FOD event and some bizarre dance moves. We look at the newly published NTSB report. https://t.co/BW3YVJdGm3 #fod #airambulance #helicopter #heliport #flightsafety #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/LJuku5Fx8E
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) September 24, 2022
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Jul-2022 08:01 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 23-Jul-2022 16:21 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Aug-2022 10:37 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 23-Sep-2022 15:23 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 24-Sep-2022 10:00 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 24-Sep-2022 10:21 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 26-Sep-2022 18:38 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Other fatalities, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report] |
| 26-Sep-2022 18:40 | harro | Updated [Nature, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 27-Sep-2022 06:59 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
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