What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft was destroyed when it impacted heavily forested area in the sam houston national forest, near Huntsville, Texas. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, flight nurse, flight paramedic, and patient were fatally injured. The flight departed the Huntsville memorial hospital at 0246 and was en route to herman memorial helipad, houston, Texas. According to company flight following data the helicopter powered up for flight at 0244:11 and departed the hospital at 0246:56. The last coordinates recored were 0237. The helicopter was at an altituded of 1,016 feet mean seal level and traveling at a groundspeed of 106 knots. The calculated direction of flight was 170 degrees. The flight was scheduled to report in at 0300. No transmissions were received. Information regarding the circumstances of this accident are being shared with afs, air and hems to study actions to mitigate future EMS accidents.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED HEAVILY FORESTED AREA IN THE SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL FOREST, NEAR HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT, FLIGHT NURSE, FLIGHT PARAMEDIC, AND PATIENT WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE HUNTSVILLE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AT 0246 AND WAS EN ROUTE TO HERMAN MEMORIAL HELIPAD, HOUSTON, TEXAS. ACCORDING TO COMPANY FLIGHT FOLLOWING DATA THE HELICOPTER POWERED UP FOR FLIGHT AT 0244:11 AND DEPARTED THE HOSPITAL AT 0246:56. THE LAST COORDINATES RECORED WERE 0237. THE HELICOPTER WAS AT AN ALTITUDED OF 1,016 FEET MEAN SEAL LEVEL AND TRAVELING AT A GROUNDSPEED OF 106 KNOTS. THE CALCULATED DIRECTION OF FLIGHT WAS 170 DEGREES. THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO REPORT IN AT 0300. NO TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED. INFORMATION REGARDING THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS ACCIDENT ARE BEING SHARED WITH AFS, AIR AND HEMS TO STUDY ACTIONS TO MITIGATE FUTURE EMS ACCIDENTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.