# Incident 20130324004199I: Eurocopter Deutschland Gmbh EC 130 B4, Atmore, AL, March 24, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 24, 2013, 17:00 local time
- Place: Atmore, AL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: QMLA
- Location: 31.1241° N, 87.4578° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Atmore, AL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.1241&lon=-87.4578&mi=10
- Aircraft: N577LF, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N577LF) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter EC 130 B4 (registry code 8680989, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-ec-130-b4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1 (registry code 60056, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND GMBH EC 130 B4
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 2B1
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 7,184 total, 49 in this make and model, 23 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130324004199I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 03-24-2013 LIFE FLIGHT 1, N577LF, RESPONDED TO A SCENE CALL IN ATMORE, ALABAMA.  THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY WERE UNLIMITED.  THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE WEST.  THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT THE SCENE AT 17:25.  THE HELICOPTER WAS PARKED FACING SOUTH TOWARD THE AMBULANCE.  THE ENGINE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO IDLE.  THE CYCLIC WAS CENTERED WITH THE FRICTION APPLIED.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE PATIENT ACCESS DOOR WAS OPENED FOR THE MEDICAL CREW TO UNLOAD THE STRETCHER.  A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE OPEN DOOR CAUSING THE STRUT ASSEMBLY (COMPENSATING CYLINDER)  TO FAIL AT THE ATTACH POINT ON THE AIRFRAME, WHICH ALLOWED THE RIGHT, FRONT CABIN DOOR TO SWING UPWARD AND MAKE CONTACT WITH THE MAIN ROTOR.  THE DOOR WAS DAMAGED FROM THE CORNER OF THE DOOR TO THE WINDOW SEAL.  ALL THREE BLADES HAD SCRATCHES ON THEM FROM CONTACT WITH THE DOOR.  THE ROTOR WAS AT LESS THAN 100 RPM WITH THE ROTOR BRAKE APPLIED WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE DOOR.  THE CHECKLIST WAS COMPLETED FOR SHUTDOWN.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE AND THE PATIENT WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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