What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 4, 2014 at approximately 1800 EDT mercy flight of western new york helicopter N504TJ, an mbb bk 117-A4, made an emergency landing in a baseball field in Boston, NY after the left slider door fell off the helicopter damaging the main rotor blades. The aircraft landed safely and no one on the ground was injured. There were 3 persons on board at the time of the incident, pilot, paramedic, and flight nurse. ATC was notified immediately and the FSDO received notification the morning of 5/5/2014 by ATC and the operator.
The following information is factual: the aircraft was on its way back to the mercy flight olean, NY base after dropping a patient off at the childrens hospital in buffalo, NY. Shortly after departing the childrens hospital and at cruise speed, the flight nurse, located in the left aft-facing cabin seat (seat # 3), noticed the left cabin sliding door started to open. The flight nurse notified the pilot and attempted to close the door. The pilot immediately began reducing the speed of the aircraft and the paramedic in the left side cockpit seat reached back to try and help the flight nurse close the door. The left cabin sliding door?s lower guide assemblies separated from the lower rail, then the door assembly swung upward and separated from the upper rail departing from the aircraft. The door then contacted all four main rotor blades. The pilot immediately made a 180 degree turn and landed in the baseball field below. The door was recovered from a nearby creek that same evening in several pieces. The main rotor blades were removed onsite and the aircraft was lifted onto a lowboy/flatbed truck by crane and transported to mercy flight's main base at the buffalo airport that same evening.
The aircraft has damage to the main rotor blades which are being shipped out for evaluation. There is also damage to the upper rail on the fuselage that the door slides on, the amount of damage is still being evaluated at this time. The door is destroyed. No other part of the aircraft was contacted by the door.
The weather on may 4, 2014 from 1800 to 2200 EDT for the buffalo, NY area was wind 210 degrees at 15 knots, greater than 6 miles of visibility, broken ceiling at 6000 feet.
At the time of the incident the aircraft had approximately 11735.2 hours total time.
This inspector has been in contact with NTSB air safety investigator Mr. Eric alleyne. The NTSB incident number is ERA14LA223.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 4, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 EDT MERCY FLIGHT OF WESTERN NEW YORK HELICOPTER N504TJ, AN MBB BK 117-A4, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A BASEBALL FIELD IN BOSTON, NY AFTER THE LEFT SLIDER DOOR FELL OFF THE HELICOPTER DAMAGING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY AND NO ONE ON THE GROUND WAS INJURED. THERE WERE 3 PERSONS ON BOARD AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, PILOT, PARAMEDIC, AND FLIGHT NURSE. ATC WAS NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY AND THE FSDO RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THE MORNING OF 5/5/2014 BY ATC AND THE OPERATOR.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FACTUAL: THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON ITS WAY BACK TO THE MERCY FLIGHT OLEAN, NY BASE AFTER DROPPING A PATIENT OFF AT THE CHILDRENS HOSPITAL IN BUFFALO, NY. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING THE CHILDRENS HOSPITAL AND AT CRUISE SPEED, THE FLIGHT NURSE, LOCATED IN THE LEFT AFT-FACING CABIN SEAT (SEAT # 3), NOTICED THE LEFT CABIN SLIDING DOOR STARTED TO OPEN. THE FLIGHT NURSE NOTIFIED THE PILOT AND ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN REDUCING THE SPEED OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PARAMEDIC IN THE LEFT SIDE COCKPIT SEAT REACHED BACK TO TRY AND HELP THE FLIGHT NURSE CLOSE THE DOOR. THE LEFT CABIN SLIDING DOOR?S LOWER GUIDE ASSEMBLIES SEPARATED FROM THE LOWER RAIL, THEN THE DOOR ASSEMBLY SWUNG UPWARD AND SEPARATED FROM THE UPPER RAIL DEPARTING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE DOOR THEN CONTACTED ALL FOUR MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN AND LANDED IN THE BASEBALL FIELD BELOW. THE DOOR WAS RECOVERED FROM A NEARBY CREEK THAT SAME EVENING IN SEVERAL PIECES. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE REMOVED ONSITE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED ONTO A LOWBOY/FLATBED TRUCK BY CRANE AND TRANSPORTED TO MERCY FLIGHT'S MAIN BASE AT THE BUFFALO AIRPORT THAT SAME EVENING.
THE AIRCRAFT HAS DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WHICH ARE BEING SHIPPED OUT FOR EVALUATION. THERE IS ALSO DAMAGE TO THE UPPER RAIL ON THE FUSELAGE THAT THE DOOR SLIDES ON, THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE IS STILL BEING EVALUATED AT THIS TIME. THE DOOR IS DESTROYED. NO OTHER PART OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONTACTED BY THE DOOR.
THE WEATHER ON MAY 4, 2014 FROM 1800 TO 2200 EDT FOR THE BUFFALO, NY AREA WAS WIND 210 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS, GREATER THAN 6 MILES OF VISIBILITY, BROKEN CEILING AT 6000 FEET.
AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 11735.2 HOURS TOTAL TIME.
THIS INSPECTOR HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH NTSB AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATOR MR. ERIC ALLEYNE. THE NTSB INCIDENT NUMBER IS ERA14LA223.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.