20080831850339A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 206L-1 · Greensburg, IN · August 31, 2008

Date: August 31, 2008 · 13:21 local
Place: Greensburg, IN
Airport: Greensburg-Decatur County
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: EVCA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N37AE
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI08FA269
Reported as: Bell 206L1
Reported engine: Allison 250C30P
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 3
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,493 total1,915 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days

N37AERegistration cancelled Nov 12, 2008 · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45230 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On 8/31/2008 at approximately 1330 N37AE, a Bell 206-11 helicopter, registered to air evac EMS inc, departed a public relations event and crashed a short time later. All three occupants were fatally injured. The flight had originated at a hospital in rushville, IN. Weather was VMC. The aircraft as destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 8/31/2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 N37AE, A BELL 206-11 HELICOPTER, REGISTERED TO AIR EVAC EMS INC, DEPARTED A PUBLIC RELATIONS EVENT AND CRASHED A SHORT TIME LATER. ALL THREE OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED AT A HOSPITAL IN RUSHVILLE, IN. WEATHER WAS VMC. THE AIRCRAFT AS DESTROYED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI08FA269Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportGreensburg, INThe in-flight separation of a main rotor blade due to a fatigue failure of the blade spar, rendering the helicopter uncontrollable, and the manufacturer's production of main rotor blades with latent manufacturing defects, which precipitated the fatigue…Aug 31, 2008 · Destroyed