What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 3, 2015, at 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus helicopter inc. (formerly American Eurocopter) AS350B3E helicopter, N390LG, impacted the upper west parking lot 360 feet southwest of the Summit Medical center helipad (91CO), Frisco, Colorado. A post-impact fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The helicopter was registered to and operated by air methods corp and the flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 135 on a company flight plan. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured and two flight nurses were seriously injured. The public relations flight was en route to gypsum, Colorado.
According to air methods the helicopter was flying to the American spirit of adventure boy scout camp near gypsum, Colorado, for a public relations mission. Multiple witnesses observed the helicopter lift off from the ground-based helipad, rotate counterclockwise, and climb simultaneously. One witness estimated that the helicopter reached an altitude of 100 feet before it started to descend. The helicopter continued to spin counterclockwise several times before it impacted a parking lot and an rv to the southwest of the flight for life hangar and helipad. The helicopter came to rest on its right side, was damaged by impact forces, and was charred, melted, and partially consumed by fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 3, 2015, AT 1339 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIRBUS HELICOPTER INC. (FORMERLY AMERICAN EUROCOPTER) AS350B3E HELICOPTER, N390LG, IMPACTED THE UPPER WEST PARKING LOT 360 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE SUMMIT MEDICAL CENTER HELIPAD (91CO), FRISCO, COLORADO. A POST-IMPACT FIRE ENSUED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY AIR METHODS CORP AND THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 ON A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND TWO FLIGHT NURSES WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PUBLIC RELATIONS FLIGHT WAS EN ROUTE TO GYPSUM, COLORADO.
ACCORDING TO AIR METHODS THE HELICOPTER WAS FLYING TO THE AMERICAN SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE BOY SCOUT CAMP NEAR GYPSUM, COLORADO, FOR A PUBLIC RELATIONS MISSION. MULTIPLE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER LIFT OFF FROM THE GROUND-BASED HELIPAD, ROTATE COUNTERCLOCKWISE, AND CLIMB SIMULTANEOUSLY. ONE WITNESS ESTIMATED THAT THE HELICOPTER REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 100 FEET BEFORE IT STARTED TO DESCEND. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO SPIN COUNTERCLOCKWISE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT IMPACTED A PARKING LOT AND AN RV TO THE SOUTHWEST OF THE FLIGHT FOR LIFE HANGAR AND HELIPAD. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE, WAS DAMAGED BY IMPACT FORCES, AND WAS CHARRED, MELTED, AND PARTIALLY CONSUMED BY FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.