What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On may 5, 2001, approximately 1700 pacific daylight time, a Eurocopter (formerly messerschmitt-bolkow-blohm mbb) BO-105C helicopter, N105RH, re gistered to tl forest products, inc. of ashland, Oregon, and being operated by mercy flights inc. of Medford, Oregon, on a 14 CFR 135 non-scheduled air ambulance flight, experienced a failure of the number 1 engine and fire in the number 1 engine compartment. The pilot landed the aircraft safely at the Medford, Oregon, airport, and the fire was extinguished by airport rescue/firefighting (ARFF) personnel. There were no injuries to the airline transport pilot-in-command, two crew members, OR passenger/patient on board; however, the fire substantially damaged the helicopter. The accident sequence of events began shortly after the patient was picked up. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at Medford at 1656. The type of flight plan filed for the flight, if any, is currently unknown. Preliminary information reported to the NTSB indicated that shortly after patient pickup, near the Medford airport, the number 1 engine lost power. The pilot continued to the airport on the number 2 engine. Approaching the airport, the Medford tow er controller advised the pilot that the aircraft was trailing smoke; preliminary reports indicated that there was no fire warning in the cockpit associated with this report. The pilot subsequently landed the helicopter on taxiway a at the airport. The pilot then noted a fire warning. The aircraft occupants exited the helicopter without injury, and ARFF arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. According to the FAA aircraft registry, the accident helicopter is equipped with two rolls-royce (formerly allison) 250 series turboshaft engines. An inspector from the faa's portland, Oregon, flight standards district office (FSDO), who responded to the scene and performed an initial post-accident examination of the helicopter, reported to the NTSB that wet oil and combustion products were both present in the number 1 engine compartment, and that no oil was found in the number 1 engine oil tank. The inspector reported that the fuel lines to the number 1 engine appeared to be intact. He further stated that he found the push-pull control tubes for the main rotor melted where they run through or near the engine compartment. (-23)suspect engine oil return line fitting failure at accessory case.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON MAY 5, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 1700 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A EUROCOPTER (FORMERLY MESSERSCHMITT-BOLKOW-BLOHM MBB) BO-105C HELICOPTER, N105RH, RE GISTERED TO TL FOREST PRODUCTS, INC. OF ASHLAND, OREGON, AND BEING OPERATED BY MERCY FLIGHTS INC. OF MEDFORD, OREGON, ON A 14 CFR 135 NON-SCHEDULED AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE AND FIRE IN THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY AT THE MEDFORD, OREGON, AIRPORT, AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY AIRPORT RESCUE/FIREFIGHTING (ARFF) PERSONNEL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT-IN-COMMAND, TWO CREW MEMBERS, OR PASSENGER/PATIENT ON BOARD; HOWEVER, THE FIRE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED THE HELICOPTER. THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER THE PATIENT WAS PICKED UP. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AT MEDFORD AT 1656. THE TYPE OF FLIGHT PLAN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT, IF ANY, IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION REPORTED TO THE NTSB INDICATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER PATIENT PICKUP, NEAR THE MEDFORD AIRPORT, THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO THE AIRPORT ON THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE. APPROACHING THE AIRPORT, THE MEDFORD TOW ER CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAILING SMOKE; PRELIMINARY REPORTS INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE WARNING IN THE COCKPIT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REPORT. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED THE HELICOPTER ON TAXIWAY A AT THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT THEN NOTED A FIRE WARNING. THE AIRCRAFT OCCUPANTS EXITED THE HELICOPTER WITHOUT INJURY, AND ARFF ARRIVED ON SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. ACCORDING TO THE FAA AIRCRAFT REGISTRY, THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO ROLLS-ROYCE (FORMERLY ALLISON) 250 SERIES TURBOSHAFT ENGINES. AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FAA'S PORTLAND, OREGON, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO), WHO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND PERFORMED AN INITIAL POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER, REPORTED TO THE NTSB THAT WET OIL AND COMBUSTION PRODUCTS WERE BOTH PRESENT IN THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND THAT NO OIL WAS FOUND IN THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE OIL TANK. THE INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE FUEL LINES TO THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE APPEARED TO BE INTACT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE FOUND THE PUSH-PULL CONTROL TUBES FOR THE MAIN ROTOR MELTED WHERE THEY RUN THROUGH OR NEAR THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. (-23)SUSPECT ENGINE OIL RETURN LINE FITTING FAILURE AT ACCESSORY CASE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.