What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On January 10, 2003, a lifeflight helicopter #6, an Agusta A-109-K29, N601RX, was dispatch to an auto accident west of Salt Lake City, Utah, near the Utah border. The pilot was unable to continue the flight due to weather conditions, and while he was attempting to return for landing the helicopter entered IMC conditions and impacted the ground. He had been holding west of the slc international airport waiting for clearance to cross the final approach course for the ILS approaches and had just declared an emergency due to inadvertent IMC. (.19) on January 10, 2003, approximately 2050 mountain standard time, an Agusta A-109-K2 air ambulance helicopter, N601RX, operating as life flight 6, was destroyed when it impacted the terrain while attempting to maneuver in dense fog near Salt Lake City, Utah. The instrument rated commercial pilot and a flight paramedic were fatally injured, and flight nurse was seriously injured. The twin-engine helicopter was owned and operated by ihc (intermountain health care) health services, inc., of Salt Lake City. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area for the 14 cod e of federal regulations part 91 flight for which a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the lds hospital, Salt Lake City, at 2031, and was enroute to wendover, Utah, to pick up a patient who had been injured in an auto accident. According to data received from air traffic control, after crossing the Salt Lake City International Airport (slc) on a westerly heading, the pilot encountered deteriorating visibilities and elected to return to the lds hospital. The pilot was unable to obtain a clearance to cross the airport on an easterly heading and was asked to hold west of the airport until slc air traffic control allowed him to cross, due to arriving slc traffic. While holding, the pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and declared an emergency. The controller issued a heading of 340 degrees to vector the helicopter to slc. No reply was received from the helicopter and a search was initiated. Approximately 2130, the helicopter wreckage was located by rescue personnel one half mile southwest of the approach end of slc runway 34L. The aircraft initially impacted a soft field on a measured magnetic heading of 150 degrees, became airborne, then came to rest in the upright position approximately 1/4 mile from the initial impact. There was no post-impact fire. At 2056 local, the slc airport was reporting winds from 350 degrees at 6 knots, visibility of a 1/8 mile in fog, with a vertical visibility (vv) of 200 feet. The temperature and dew point were both reported at 01 degree centigrade, and the altimeter was reported at 30.10 inches.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JANUARY 10, 2003, A LIFEFLIGHT HELICOPTER #6, AN AGUSTA A-109-K29, N601RX, WAS DISPATCH TO AN AUTO ACCIDENT WEST OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, NEAR THE UTAH BORDER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND WHILE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN FOR LANDING THE HELICOPTER ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. HE HAD BEEN HOLDING WEST OF THE SLC INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAITING FOR CLEARANCE TO CROSS THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE FOR THE ILS APPROACHES AND HAD JUST DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO INADVERTENT IMC. (.19) ON JANUARY 10, 2003, APPROXIMATELY 2050 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AGUSTA A-109-K2 AIR AMBULANCE HELICOPTER, N601RX, OPERATING AS LIFE FLIGHT 6, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MANEUVER IN DENSE FOG NEAR SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND A FLIGHT PARAMEDIC WERE FATALLY INJURED, AND FLIGHT NURSE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE TWIN-ENGINE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY IHC (INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTH CARE) HEALTH SERVICES, INC., OF SALT LAKE CITY. NIGHT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE AREA FOR THE 14 COD E OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 FLIGHT FOR WHICH A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE LDS HOSPITAL, SALT LAKE CITY, AT 2031, AND WAS ENROUTE TO WENDOVER, UTAH, TO PICK UP A PATIENT WHO HAD BEEN INJURED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO DATA RECEIVED FROM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, AFTER CROSSING THE SALT LAKE CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SLC) ON A WESTERLY HEADING, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING VISIBILITIES AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE LDS HOSPITAL. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN A CLEARANCE TO CROSS THE AIRPORT ON AN EASTERLY HEADING AND WAS ASKED TO HOLD WEST OF THE AIRPORT UNTIL SLC AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ALLOWED HIM TO CROSS, DUE TO ARRIVING SLC TRAFFIC. WHILE HOLDING, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE CONTROLLER ISSUED A HEADING OF 340 DEGREES TO VECTOR THE HELICOPTER TO SLC. NO REPLY WAS RECEIVED FROM THE HELICOPTER AND A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. APPROXIMATELY 2130, THE HELICOPTER WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED BY RESCUE PERSONNEL ONE HALF MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE APPROACH END OF SLC RUNWAY 34L. THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY IMPACTED A SOFT FIELD ON A MEASURED MAGNETIC HEADING OF 150 DEGREES, BECAME AIRBORNE, THEN CAME TO REST IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT. THERE WAS NO POST-IMPACT FIRE. AT 2056 LOCAL, THE SLC AIRPORT WAS REPORTING WINDS FROM 350 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS, VISIBILITY OF A 1/8 MILE IN FOG, WITH A VERTICAL VISIBILITY (VV) OF 200 FEET. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE BOTH REPORTED AT 01 DEGREE CENTIGRADE, AND THE ALTIMETER WAS REPORTED AT 30.10 INCHES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.