What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 14, 2001, at 0002 MDT, an emergency medical service helicopter hit a tree during an approach into an off-airport landing site. VMC conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot reported that there was no cloud cover or restrictions to visibility. There was no moon illumination as moonrise would not occur until 0130 MDT. The flight originated at the kalispell regional hospital 15 minutes prior to the incident. The helicopter crew consisted of the pilot, a paramedic and a flight nurse. They were attemptig to meet a ground ambulance to transfer a patient from eureka, MT. The pickup site along the highway had been used routinely during previous transfers. The pilot stated he initiated an overhead pattern to the landing zone (lz). He was using the night sun landing light but was getting "washout" reflection at approximately 300'AGL and turned the light out until on final approach. The ground ambulance missed the turnoff to the lz and the helicopter crew was talking to and observing the ground ambulance stop and return to find the lz turnoff. The pilot stated that he flew a wider than normal approach pattern and on downwind the paramedic called rising terrain. The pilot stated he started an immediate flare and part of a tree crashed through the right (pilot's) windshield and chin bubble. The pilot stated he checked rotor RPM at 100% and verified a/c controllability. He then flew to the hospital helipad rather than attempt a landing at the original intended lz. On site inspection revealed that the a/c sustained damage to both wndshields, the right chin bubble, and a 3" crack in the nose fiberglass. The main rotor blades had contacted a tree without any deformation or damage. It was discovered that the a/c impacted the tree in rapidly rising terrain approximately 250' higher than and 3500' ssw of the intended lz. A radar altimeter was installed and operational in the a/c and had been set at 180'.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 14, 2001, AT 0002 MDT, AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE HELICOPTER HIT A TREE DURING AN APPROACH INTO AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING SITE. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO CLOUD COVER OR RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITY. THERE WAS NO MOON ILLUMINATION AS MOONRISE WOULD NOT OCCUR UNTIL 0130 MDT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE KALISPELL REGIONAL HOSPITAL 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER CREW CONSISTED OF THE PILOT, A PARAMEDIC AND A FLIGHT NURSE. THEY WERE ATTEMPTIG TO MEET A GROUND AMBULANCE TO TRANSFER A PATIENT FROM EUREKA, MT. THE PICKUP SITE ALONG THE HIGHWAY HAD BEEN USED ROUTINELY DURING PREVIOUS TRANSFERS. THE PILOT STATED HE INITIATED AN OVERHEAD PATTERN TO THE LANDING ZONE (LZ). HE WAS USING THE NIGHT SUN LANDING LIGHT BUT WAS GETTING "WASHOUT" REFLECTION AT APPROXIMATELY 300'AGL AND TURNED THE LIGHT OUT UNTIL ON FINAL APPROACH. THE GROUND AMBULANCE MISSED THE TURNOFF TO THE LZ AND THE HELICOPTER CREW WAS TALKING TO AND OBSERVING THE GROUND AMBULANCE STOP AND RETURN TO FIND THE LZ TURNOFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FLEW A WIDER THAN NORMAL APPROACH PATTERN AND ON DOWNWIND THE PARAMEDIC CALLED RISING TERRAIN. THE PILOT STATED HE STARTED AN IMMEDIATE FLARE AND PART OF A TREE CRASHED THROUGH THE RIGHT (PILOT'S) WINDSHIELD AND CHIN BUBBLE. THE PILOT STATED HE CHECKED ROTOR RPM AT 100% AND VERIFIED A/C CONTROLLABILITY. HE THEN FLEW TO THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD RATHER THAN ATTEMPT A LANDING AT THE ORIGINAL INTENDED LZ. ON SITE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE A/C SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO BOTH WNDSHIELDS, THE RIGHT CHIN BUBBLE, AND A 3" CRACK IN THE NOSE FIBERGLASS. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HAD CONTACTED A TREE WITHOUT ANY DEFORMATION OR DAMAGE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE A/C IMPACTED THE TREE IN RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 250' HIGHER THAN AND 3500' SSW OF THE INTENDED LZ. A RADAR ALTIMETER WAS INSTALLED AND OPERATIONAL IN THE A/C AND HAD BEEN SET AT 180'.
Other reports on N407KH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.