What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 22, 2013, about 0605 central daylight time (CDT), a Eurocopter AS350 B3, N353HW, impacted trees and terrain near Somerville, Tennessee. The certificated commercial pilot, a registered nurse, and a respiratory therapist were fatally injured; the helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The helicopter was registered to and operated by memphis medical center air ambulance service, doing business as hospital wing, under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part
91 As a positioning flight. Night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from hospital wing heliport (2TN0), memphis, Tennessee and was en route to whitehurst field heliport (60TN), bolivar, Tennessee.
The purpose of the flight was to position the helicopter at bolivar to board a patient for transport to memphis. According to satellite tracking data provided by the company, the helicopter departed 2TN0 at 0547 and proceeded in an east to northeasterly direction, following U.S. Highway 64. About 20 minutes later, the helicopter was observed in a climb. The last data point indicated that the helicopter was on a course of 146 degrees and at 98 knots ground speed and at an altitude of 1,560 feet above mean sea level.
The company dispatched two aircraft to the last known position of N353HW after the pilot did not make the normal 10-minute position report. One of the helicopters observed a fire in a wooded area about 19 miles west of 60TN. First responders confirmed that the helicopter had crashed at that location.
Several witnesses heard or saw a helicopter in flight near or after the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 22, 2013, ABOUT 0605 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), A EUROCOPTER AS350 B3, N353HW, IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN NEAR SOMERVILLE, TENNESSEE. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, A REGISTERED NURSE, AND A RESPIRATORY THERAPIST WERE FATALLY INJURED; THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND A POSTCRASH FIRE. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MEMPHIS MEDICAL CENTER AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE, DOING BUSINESS AS HOSPITAL WING, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART
91 AS A POSITIONING FLIGHT. NIGHT, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT, WHICH OPERATED ON A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM HOSPITAL WING HELIPORT (2TN0), MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE AND WAS EN ROUTE TO WHITEHURST FIELD HELIPORT (60TN), BOLIVAR, TENNESSEE.
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO POSITION THE HELICOPTER AT BOLIVAR TO BOARD A PATIENT FOR TRANSPORT TO MEMPHIS. ACCORDING TO SATELLITE TRACKING DATA PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY, THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED 2TN0 AT 0547 AND PROCEEDED IN AN EAST TO NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION, FOLLOWING U.S. HIGHWAY 64. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED IN A CLIMB. THE LAST DATA POINT INDICATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A COURSE OF 146 DEGREES AND AT 98 KNOTS GROUND SPEED AND AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1,560 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL.
THE COMPANY DISPATCHED TWO AIRCRAFT TO THE LAST KNOWN POSITION OF N353HW AFTER THE PILOT DID NOT MAKE THE NORMAL 10-MINUTE POSITION REPORT. ONE OF THE HELICOPTERS OBSERVED A FIRE IN A WOODED AREA ABOUT 19 MILES WEST OF 60TN. FIRST RESPONDERS CONFIRMED THAT THE HELICOPTER HAD CRASHED AT THAT LOCATION.
SEVERAL WITNESSES HEARD OR SAW A HELICOPTER IN FLIGHT NEAR OR AFTER 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.