ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 294199
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| Date: | Thursday 6 January 2005 |
| Time: | 00:03 LT |
| Type: |  Aerospatiale AS350-D |
| Owner/operator: | Air Methods Corporation |
| Registration: | N350RM |
| MSN: | 1024 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10463 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce 250-C30M |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Falkner, Mississippi -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Felkner, MS |
| Tupelo, MS | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter collided with trees and the ground while flying level with rising terrain during low cloud and low visibility condition. The pilot had earlier flown to a highway accident site in order to transport injured persons to the hospital. During the attempted loading of the injured persons, the chin bubble of the helicopter was damaged, and consequently the flight was canceled. The injured persons were ground transported by ambulance. A mechanic was dispatched to the site and he encountered moderate rain and gusty winds while en route. The mechanic made a temporary repair to the damaged area of the helicopter. According to the mechanic, the pilot indicated the site was a flood area and with a forecast of more rain, he preferred to move the helicopter. The mechanic suggested to the pilot that he relocate the aircraft locally to a school or hospital after first hovering after lift off and evaluating the weather. The mechanic would then drive the pilot from the relocation site to the destination. The pilot did not acknowledge his suggestion and made a walk-around inspection of the helicopter, and checked his flight charts for obstructions. The pilot started the helicopter and departed. There is no record that the pilot obtained a weather briefing by radio or by cell phone before departing the accident site. The wreckage was located the following morning. Doxylamine, a sedating over-the-counter antihistamine used in sleep aids and multi-symptom cold relievers, was found in the pilot's blood on toxicological examination. Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant available in many multi-symptom cold relievers, was also found in the pilot's blood.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper decision to attempt VFR flight into known instrument flight conditions and failure to maintain altitude clearance resulted in an in-flight collision with trees and the ground.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ATL05FA038
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Oct-2022 18:28 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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