What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This was a helicopter air ambulance flight departing from the parking lot of a manufacturing plant. The intended destination of the flight was johnson city medical center. The aircraft had four persons on-board, including the pilot, a nurse, a paramedic, and a patient. The aircraft lost engine power during takeoff at approximately 125 feet AGL with no forward airspeed. The pilot and several witnesses reported hearing multiple loud bangs from the aircraft engine, and then several persons on the ground reported that smoke was coming from the back of the aircraft. The aircraft sustained substantial damage upon landing near the point of departure. The engine was still running when the aircraft touched down.
As the FAA filed it
THIS WAS A HELICOPTER AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT DEPARTING FROM THE PARKING LOT OF A MANUFACTURING PLANT. THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF THE FLIGHT WAS JOHNSON CITY MEDICAL CENTER. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FOUR PERSONS ON-BOARD, INCLUDING THE PILOT, A NURSE, A PARAMEDIC, AND A PATIENT. THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER DURING TAKEOFF AT APPROXIMATELY 125 FEET AGL WITH NO FORWARD AIRSPEED. THE PILOT AND SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING MULTIPLE LOUD BANGS FROM THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE, AND THEN SEVERAL PERSONS ON THE GROUND REPORTED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE UPON LANDING NEAR THE POINT OF DEPARTURE. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.