What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 10, 2012, at approximately 2016 central standard time (CST) an Eurocopter BK-117A-3, N911BK, operated as "react one", was destroyed when it impacted a farm field while attempting to return to rockford memorial hospital, rockford, Illinois. The pilot in command (PIC) and two flight nurses sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was owned by rockford memorial hospital and operated by air methods corporation (qmla), englewood, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was operated under 14 CFR part 135. The flight departed rockford memorial hospital, at 1959 CST and was enroute to mendota community hospital, mendota, Illinois. The purpose of the flight was to transfer a patient from mendota community hospital to rockford memorial hospital. At approximately 2016 CST, the PIC stated the following (via radio) to the rockford memorial hospital communication center: "we're going to have to turn around and come back. We got into some weather down here. We're going to have to come back to rockford."at appoximately 2019 CST, officers from the lee county sheriff's department received a call from their dispatch indicating residents reported "a helicopter in distress and a subsequent sound of a crash."at 2027 CST, the rockford memorial communications center attempted to make contact with react one, however was unsuccessful. Weather:the rockford (krfd) METAR at 1954 CST reported the following: wind 270 degrees at 4 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; ceiling 3,600 feet overcast; temperature -1 degree celsius; dew point -5 degrees celsius; altimeter 29.94THE rockford forecast indicated VMC conditions would prevail over the next 24 hours. Rochelle airport (krpj) located approximately 9.75 miles north of the accident site reported the following at 2015 CST:wind 290 degrees at 8 knots; visibility 7 statute miles; light snow; ceiling 3,300 overcast; temperature -1 degree celsius, dewpoint -2 degrees celsius; altimeter 29.94.a first responder from the lee county sheriff's department stated that there was "moderately heavy snow falling in the area" around the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 10, 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 2016 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST) AN EUROCOPTER BK-117A-3, N911BK, OPERATED AS "REACT ONE", WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED A FARM FIELD WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO ROCKFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) AND TWO FLIGHT NURSES SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED BY ROCKFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND OPERATED BY AIR METHODS CORPORATION (QMLA), ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ROCKFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, AT 1959 CST AND WAS ENROUTE TO MENDOTA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, MENDOTA, ILLINOIS. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO TRANSFER A PATIENT FROM MENDOTA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL TO ROCKFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. AT APPROXIMATELY 2016 CST, THE PIC STATED THE FOLLOWING (VIA RADIO) TO THE ROCKFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL COMMUNICATION CENTER: "WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND COME BACK. WE GOT INTO SOME WEATHER DOWN HERE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK TO ROCKFORD."AT APPOXIMATELY 2019 CST, OFFICERS FROM THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RECEIVED A CALL FROM THEIR DISPATCH INDICATING RESIDENTS REPORTED "A HELICOPTER IN DISTRESS AND A SUBSEQUENT SOUND OF A CRASH."AT 2027 CST, THE ROCKFORD MEMORIAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER ATTEMPTED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH REACT ONE, HOWEVER WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.WEATHER:THE ROCKFORD (KRFD) METAR AT 1954 CST REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: WIND 270 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES; CEILING 3,600 FEET OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE -1 DEGREE CELSIUS; DEW POINT -5 DEGREES CELSIUS; ALTIMETER 29.94THE ROCKFORD FORECAST INDICATED VMC CONDITIONS WOULD PREVAIL OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.ROCHELLE AIRPORT (KRPJ) LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 9.75 MILES NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED THE FOLLOWING AT 2015 CST:WIND 290 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 7 STATUTE MILES; LIGHT SNOW; CEILING 3,300 OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE -1 DEGREE CELSIUS, DEWPOINT -2 DEGREES CELSIUS; ALTIMETER 29.94.A FIRST RESPONDER FROM THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THERE WAS "MODERATELY HEAVY SNOW FALLING IN THE AREA" AROUND THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.