What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 3, 2011, at 21:00 eastern daylight time, the chief pilot of air methods corp. contacted the FAA and reported an Aerospatiale AS350B2 helicopter, N916AM, was found damaged during a maintenance inspection. The tail boom was bent and wrinkled from an earlier night vision goggles (NVG) training flight. On may 02, 2011 at 21:35 the instructor pilot and one trainee departed on the first (NVG) training flight, after completion of first training flight the pilot trainee was changed out. The second trainee stated he performed a preflight inspection on the N916AM in the dark with no flashlight and the aircraft departed on the second flight at 01:30 and landing at Woodward Field Airport (cdn) at 03:55 on the morning of may 3, 2011. The pilots stated they did not notice any damage to the aircraft on the post flight inspection. The (NVG) training flight consisted of normal take off and ladings, straight ahead autorotation and autorotations with a turn, hydraulic-off maneuvers with go around, slope operations. The (NVG) trainees began their ground training at 16:00-21:00 on may 02, 2011 and completed thier last flight training at 03:55.the weather conditions were night VFR, the crew reported no injuries. On may 2, 2011 airframe and powerplant rated mechanic stated he performed a daily airworthy inspection on N916AM prior to the (NVG) training flight and found no discrepancies and the same mechanic further stated on the morning of may 03, 2011 after the training flight he was performing an airworthy inspection he noticed an oil leak on aft tail boom coming from the tail rotor gearbox input seal and metal shavings found under the tail rotor drive shaft then he noticed the tail boom was bent and wrinkled and the tail stinger had fresh ground contact scrapes.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 3, 2011, AT 21:00 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, THE CHIEF PILOT OF AIR METHODS CORP. CONTACTED THE FAA AND REPORTED AN AEROSPATIALE AS350B2 HELICOPTER, N916AM, WAS FOUND DAMAGED DURING A MAINTENANCE INSPECTION. THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT AND WRINKLED FROM AN EARLIER NIGHT VISION GOGGLES (NVG) TRAINING FLIGHT. ON MAY 02, 2011 AT 21:35 THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND ONE TRAINEE DEPARTED ON THE FIRST (NVG) TRAINING FLIGHT, AFTER COMPLETION OF FIRST TRAINING FLIGHT THE PILOT TRAINEE WAS CHANGED OUT. THE SECOND TRAINEE STATED HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION ON THE N916AM IN THE DARK WITH NO FLASHLIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON THE SECOND FLIGHT AT 01:30 AND LANDING AT WOODWARD FIELD AIRPORT (CDN) AT 03:55 ON THE MORNING OF MAY 3, 2011. THE PILOTS STATED THEY DID NOT NOTICE ANY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT ON THE POST FLIGHT INSPECTION.THE (NVG) TRAINING FLIGHT CONSISTED OF NORMAL TAKE OFF AND LADINGS, STRAIGHT AHEAD AUTOROTATION AND AUTOROTATIONS WITH A TURN, HYDRAULIC-OFF MANEUVERS WITH GO AROUND, SLOPE OPERATIONS. THE (NVG) TRAINEES BEGAN THEIR GROUND TRAINING AT 16:00-21:00 ON MAY 02, 2011 AND COMPLETED THIER LAST FLIGHT TRAINING AT 03:55.THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE NIGHT VFR, THE CREW REPORTED NO INJURIES. ON MAY 2, 2011 AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT RATED MECHANIC STATED HE PERFORMED A DAILY AIRWORTHY INSPECTION ON N916AM PRIOR TO THE (NVG) TRAINING FLIGHT AND FOUND NO DISCREPANCIES AND THE SAME MECHANIC FURTHER STATED ON THE MORNING OF MAY 03, 2011 AFTER THE TRAINING FLIGHT HE WAS PERFORMING AN AIRWORTHY INSPECTION HE NOTICED AN OIL LEAK ON AFT TAIL BOOM COMING FROM THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX INPUT SEAL AND METAL SHAVINGS FOUND UNDER THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT THEN HE NOTICED THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT AND WRINKLED AND THE TAIL STINGER HAD FRESH GROUND CONTACT SCRAPES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.