ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44786
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| Date: | Tuesday 13 July 2004 |
| Time: | 05:32 |
| Type: |  Bell 407 |
| Owner/operator: | Med-Trans Corporation (MTC) |
| Registration: | N503MT |
| MSN: | 53498 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2001 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 710 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce 250 C47B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Newberry, SC -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | near Newberry, SC |
| Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, SC | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On July 13, 2004, about 0532 eastern daylight time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N503MT, operated by Med-Trans Corporation (MTC) collided with trees shortly after takeoff from interstate highway 26 (I-26) near Newberry, South Carolina. The pilot, flight nurse, flight paramedic, and patient were killed, and the helicopter was destroyed by impact and postcrash fire. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 emergency medical services (EMS) flight was en route to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where it had departed about 0502. Night visual meteorological conditions with mist and light fog prevailed in the area of the accident site. A company flight plan had been filed, and flight-following was being provided by the Spartanburg County Communications 911 Department of the Spartanburg County Office of Emergency Services.
The flight crew was contacted about 0452 to determine if they could accept the mission. The pilot performed a weather check and accepted the mission about 0455. He departed about 0502. The helicopter arrived at the accident scene and landed on the interstate highway near a rest stop about 0523. The helicopter departed the scene about 10 minutes later, flying toward the national forest located north of the interstate. A witness reported that the helicopter made no abrupt maneuvers and that the engine "didn't sound like it was missing, sputtering, or any other kind of power loss." He reported that the helicopter was straight and level then it "pitched forward to go forward." He reported the helicopter was "flying level" as it descended into the trees. He reported that the helicopter's searchlight was on and that fog and mist were visible at treetop level. Postaccident inspection of the helicopter revealed no preexisting anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition. Download of the engine's electronic control unit nonvolatile memory indicated that the engine was operating at 98 percent Ng when it impacted the trees. Three other EMS helicopter operators had turned down the mission, including one who had attempted it but had to return because of fog conditions. However, the accident pilot was not informed that other pilots had declined the mission because of fog.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance as a result of fog conditions. A contributing factor was inadequate weather and dispatch information relayed to the pilot.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040720X01007&key=1
Location
Images:
Photos: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 07-Feb-2009 10:21 | harro | Updated |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 07-Dec-2017 18:13 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Oct-2018 10:58 | Anon. | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 10-Jun-2023 11:49 | Aerossurance | Updated [[Departure airport, Destination airport]] |
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