What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Starboard (RH flap door) aft cabin door popped open inflight and impacted the starboard cargo door and surrounding fuselage area breaking the plexiglas window.
On January 8, 2015, Hospital Wing N859HW, an EC-130-B4 was performing a pedia-flight transfer from West Point, Mississippi to memphis, Tennessee. Sometime during the transit, a flight nurse stated that she felt cool rushing air striking her face where upon she investigated and noticed the RH flap door (part number: C521C2101053, serial number: TB5452) was open about (3) inches at the top. She notified the pilot of the situation and he immediately slowed the aircraft down and initiated a decent for an emergency landing in a safe suitable landing zone. Shortly after pilot initiated emergency descent, the RH flap door popped open inflight and impacted the skid and pushed it way past the starboard skid where it impacted the starboard cargo door and surrounding fuselage area. Upon impact with the starboard cargo door forward hinge, the plexiglas window shattered. The pilot continued to descend and made a safe landing in field near a local road.
The pilot notified Hospital Wing dispatch of the current situation whereupon another helicopter was dispatched with maintenance personnel onboard to recover the disabled aircraft. The patient was transferred to the recovery aircraft along with the original crew and the pedi-flight continued onto its destination. The maintenance personnel inspected the aircraft and made the determination that the aircraft was ?safe for flight? And the disabled aircraft was repositioned to Hospital Wing main base of operations at (2TN0) eastmoreland avenue in memphis, TN.
As the FAA filed it
STARBOARD (RH FLAP DOOR) AFT CABIN DOOR POPPED OPEN INFLIGHT AND IMPACTED THE STARBOARD CARGO DOOR AND SURROUNDING FUSELAGE AREA BREAKING THE PLEXIGLAS WINDOW.
ON JANUARY 8, 2015, HOSPITAL WING N859HW, AN EC-130-B4 WAS PERFORMING A PEDIA-FLIGHT TRANSFER FROM WEST POINT, MISSISSIPPI TO MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. SOMETIME DURING THE TRANSIT, A FLIGHT NURSE STATED THAT SHE FELT COOL RUSHING AIR STRIKING HER FACE WHERE UPON SHE INVESTIGATED AND NOTICED THE RH FLAP DOOR (PART NUMBER: C521C2101053, SERIAL NUMBER: TB5452) WAS OPEN ABOUT (3) INCHES AT THE TOP. SHE NOTIFIED THE PILOT OF THE SITUATION AND HE IMMEDIATELY SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND INITIATED A DECENT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SAFE SUITABLE LANDING ZONE. SHORTLY AFTER PILOT INITIATED EMERGENCY DESCENT, THE RH FLAP DOOR POPPED OPEN INFLIGHT AND IMPACTED THE SKID AND PUSHED IT WAY PAST THE STARBOARD SKID WHERE IT IMPACTED THE STARBOARD CARGO DOOR AND SURROUNDING FUSELAGE AREA. UPON IMPACT WITH THE STARBOARD CARGO DOOR FORWARD HINGE, THE PLEXIGLAS WINDOW SHATTERED. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO DESCEND AND MADE A SAFE LANDING IN FIELD NEAR A LOCAL ROAD.
THE PILOT NOTIFIED HOSPITAL WING DISPATCH OF THE CURRENT SITUATION WHEREUPON ANOTHER HELICOPTER WAS DISPATCHED WITH MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ONBOARD TO RECOVER THE DISABLED AIRCRAFT. THE PATIENT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE RECOVERY AIRCRAFT ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL CREW AND THE PEDI-FLIGHT CONTINUED ONTO ITS DESTINATION. THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND MADE THE DETERMINATION THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ?SAFE FOR FLIGHT? AND THE DISABLED AIRCRAFT WAS REPOSITIONED TO HOSPITAL WING MAIN BASE OF OPERATIONS AT (2TN0) EASTMORELAND AVENUE IN MEMPHIS, TN.