What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
4/15/2013 The pilot states that Bell 407, N408 ga, an air methods air ambulance flight, departed tuba city AZ hospital at 2047L en-route to banner good samaritan with a patient on board. There were no issues until 15 miles north of phoenix Deer Valley (2225L). The pilot stated while getting ATIS and preparing to contact tower, smelling a strong electrical burning smell with smoke coming from the lower right corner of the instrument panel near the clock with a subsequent loss of all instrument panel lighting. The pilot immediately turned the aircraft into the wind approximate heading 240 degrees and started a descent out of 6000 ft. and declared an emergency with Deer Valley (kdvt) ATC tower giving them the approximate location.
The pilot reports landing in a small field at N33 54.49 w 112 05.11 and immediately turned off all electrical power, shut down the aircraft and began assessing the aircraft, crew and patient. The pilot stated at this point all evidence of smoke had dissipated and began coordinating for transport of the patient to the destination hospital. The pilot then contacted flight service and asked them to contact Deer Valley (kdvt) to let them know they were on the ground safely with no injury or damage. Maricopa county sherriff's department and fire rescue were on the scene within about five minutes. Air methods maintenance arrived at about 0230L and determined that the aircraft could not be flown out that night and the flight crew departed the scene at 0315LCL, 4/16/2013.
On 4/16/2013 the mechanic installed a serviceable clock, (non NVG compliant and deferred the NVG system) on maintenance log page 939286 and approved the aircraft for return to service. The log entry states that the clock internal lighting was found damaged and cause of smoke. The operator submitted SDR #QLMA2013041513053 regarding the failed davtron M803-5V-NVG clock. The SDR states that maintenance found the clock back lighting inoperative with an acrid burnt smell coming from the clock assembly.
As the FAA filed it
4/15/2013 THE PILOT STATES THAT BELL 407, N408 GA, AN AIR METHODS AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT, DEPARTED TUBA CITY AZ HOSPITAL AT 2047L EN-ROUTE TO BANNER GOOD SAMARITAN WITH A PATIENT ON BOARD. THERE WERE NO ISSUES UNTIL 15 MILES NORTH OF PHOENIX DEER VALLEY (2225L). THE PILOT STATED WHILE GETTING ATIS AND PREPARING TO CONTACT TOWER, SMELLING A STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WITH SMOKE COMING FROM THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL NEAR THE CLOCK WITH A SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ALL INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE WIND APPROXIMATE HEADING 240 DEGREES AND STARTED A DESCENT OUT OF 6000 FT. AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH DEER VALLEY (KDVT) ATC TOWER GIVING THEM THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION.
THE PILOT REPORTS LANDING IN A SMALL FIELD AT N33 54.49 W 112 05.11 AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER, SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND BEGAN ASSESSING THE AIRCRAFT, CREW AND PATIENT. THE PILOT STATED AT THIS POINT ALL EVIDENCE OF SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED AND BEGAN COORDINATING FOR TRANSPORT OF THE PATIENT TO THE DESTINATION HOSPITAL. THE PILOT THEN CONTACTED FLIGHT SERVICE AND ASKED THEM TO CONTACT DEER VALLEY (KDVT) TO LET THEM KNOW THEY WERE ON THE GROUND SAFELY WITH NO INJURY OR DAMAGE. MARICOPA COUNTY SHERRIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND FIRE RESCUE WERE ON THE SCENE WITHIN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. AIR METHODS MAINTENANCE ARRIVED AT ABOUT 0230L AND DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT BE FLOWN OUT THAT NIGHT AND THE FLIGHT CREW DEPARTED THE SCENE AT 0315LCL, 4/16/2013.
ON 4/16/2013 THE MECHANIC INSTALLED A SERVICEABLE CLOCK, (NON NVG COMPLIANT AND DEFERRED THE NVG SYSTEM) ON MAINTENANCE LOG PAGE 939286 AND APPROVED THE AIRCRAFT FOR RETURN TO SERVICE. THE LOG ENTRY STATES THAT THE CLOCK INTERNAL LIGHTING WAS FOUND DAMAGED AND CAUSE OF SMOKE. THE OPERATOR SUBMITTED SDR #QLMA2013041513053 REGARDING THE FAILED DAVTRON M803-5V-NVG CLOCK. THE SDR STATES THAT MAINTENANCE FOUND THE CLOCK BACK LIGHTING INOPERATIVE WITH AN ACRID BURNT SMELL COMING FROM THE CLOCK ASSEMBLY.