What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The flight departed from big bend regional medical center near alpine, TX at approximately 0143 on 03/21/04 for an air ambulance flight to lubbock, TX. It was dark and areas of thunderstorm activity were present between alpine and lubbock. At 0219 the pilot contacted the company dispatch to begin a position report when he stated "hold on a minute dispatch...give me something to look at". No further transmissions were received and attempts to regain contact with the pilot were not successful. At approximately 0330 the dispatch center contacted the Texas department of public safety (dps) and reported a possible missing helicopter. Due to bad weather in the odessa, TX area, the dps helicopter was unable to launch until around 0600. The wreckage was located by the dps aircraft crew at around 0623. The company has not written standardized procedure for escaping from inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot held an instrument rating in helicopters but was not instrument current. Of his 17,250 hours flight time, only 217 were instrument experience (130 actual/87 hood). The company has a policy where the pilot comes on duty, checks the weather, and then makes a determination as to the mission status...red, no go, yellow, only emergency, and green no restrictions. There is no oversight to have someone other than the pilot to downgrade the status. The pilot should be able to upgrade the mission status if conditions worsen, but someone in addition to the pilot should be required for a downgrade in status. The accident site, wreckage pattern, and meteorological conditions at the time of the accident seemto indicate a controlled flight into terrain while trying to escape from inadvertent IMC conditions.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM BIG BEND REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER NEAR ALPINE, TX AT APPROXIMATELY 0143 ON 03/21/04 FOR AN AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT TO LUBBOCK, TX. IT WAS DARK AND AREAS OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WERE PRESENT BETWEEN ALPINE AND LUBBOCK. AT 0219 THE PILOT CONTACTED THE COMPANY DISPATCH TO BEGIN A POSITION REPORT WHEN HE STATED "HOLD ON A MINUTE DISPATCH...GIVE ME SOMETHING TO LOOK AT". NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED AND ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN CONTACT WITH THE PILOT WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. AT APPROXIMATELY 0330 THE DISPATCH CENTER CONTACTED THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY (DPS) AND REPORTED A POSSIBLE MISSING HELICOPTER. DUE TO BAD WEATHER IN THE ODESSA, TX AREA, THE DPS HELICOPTER WAS UNABLE TO LAUNCH UNTIL AROUND 0600. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED BY THE DPS AIRCRAFT CREW AT AROUND 0623. THE COMPANY HAS NOT WRITTEN STANDARDIZED PROCEDURE FOR ESCAPING FROM INADVERTENT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). THE PILOT HELD AN INSTRUMENT RATING IN HELICOPTERS BUT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT CURRENT. OF HIS 17,250 HOURS FLIGHT TIME, ONLY 217 WERE INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE (130 ACTUAL/87 HOOD). THE COMPANY HAS A POLICY WHERE THE PILOT COMES ON DUTY, CHECKS THE WEATHER, AND THEN MAKES A DETERMINATION AS TO THE MISSION STATUS...RED, NO GO, YELLOW, ONLY EMERGENCY, AND GREEN NO RESTRICTIONS. THERE IS NO OVERSIGHT TO HAVE SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE PILOT TO DOWNGRADE THE STATUS. THE PILOT SHOULD BE ABLE TO UPGRADE THE MISSION STATUS IF CONDITIONS WORSEN, BUT SOMEONE IN ADDITION TO THE PILOT SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR A DOWNGRADE IN STATUS. THE ACCIDENT SITE, WRECKAGE PATTERN, AND METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT SEEMTO INDICATE A CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN WHILE TRYING TO ESCAPE FROM INADVERTENT IMC CONDITIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.