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20170308007349I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Eurocopter EC 130 B4 · Glasgow, KY · March 8, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 8, 2017 · 18:00 local
Place
Glasgow, KY
Airport
Glasgow Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
QMLA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N134LN
Reported as
Eurocopter EC 130 B4
Reported engine
Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
7,636 total14 in this make and model19 in the last 90 days
N134LNRegistered now · Eurocopter EC 130 B4S/N 3985 · Built 2005Airframe modelEurocopter EC 130 B4Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-2B1Turbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

EMS crew had returned to base at Glasgow airport after completing a patient transfer.

During aircraft shutdown, after the engine was turned off, the main rotor RPM was at approximately 120, the flight medic opened the right side cabin door and stepped out of the aircraft. The winds at the airport were approximately 260 degrees at 15 knots. The aircraft was parked on a dolly that was oriented approximately 90 degrees to the wind - on a heading of approximately 170 degrees. The winds blew on the cabin door to the point that the air piston that holds the door at about 90 degrees in the normal open position broke loose from the aircraft mounted point and the door opened to a 180 degree position with the top of the door being above the cabin level in this position. The rotor blades were slowing down - thus drooping to a lower point in the rotation path. The rotors struck the top of the door breaking the door window and damaging the top edge of the door. All the rotor blades were damaged as well due to the door strike.

This is currently being classified as an incident. At request of NTSB, it may be elevated to accident at a later date,due to main rotor blade damage repair. Blades are currently at airframe manufacturer for evaluation.

As the FAA filed it

EMS CREW HAD RETURNED TO BASE AT GLASGOW AIRPORT AFTER COMPLETING A PATIENT TRANSFER.

DURING AIRCRAFT SHUTDOWN, AFTER THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, THE MAIN ROTOR RPM WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 120, THE FLIGHT MEDIC OPENED THE RIGHT SIDE CABIN DOOR AND STEPPED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE WINDS AT THE AIRPORT WERE APPROXIMATELY 260 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PARKED ON A DOLLY THAT WAS ORIENTED APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES TO THE WIND - ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 170 DEGREES. THE WINDS BLEW ON THE CABIN DOOR TO THE POINT THAT THE AIR PISTON THAT HOLDS THE DOOR AT ABOUT 90 DEGREES IN THE NORMAL OPEN POSITION BROKE LOOSE FROM THE AIRCRAFT MOUNTED POINT AND THE DOOR OPENED TO A 180 DEGREE POSITION WITH THE TOP OF THE DOOR BEING ABOVE THE CABIN LEVEL IN THIS POSITION. THE ROTOR BLADES WERE SLOWING DOWN - THUS DROOPING TO A LOWER POINT IN THE ROTATION PATH. THE ROTORS STRUCK THE TOP OF THE DOOR BREAKING THE DOOR WINDOW AND DAMAGING THE TOP EDGE OF THE DOOR. ALL THE ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED AS WELL DUE TO THE DOOR STRIKE.

THIS IS CURRENTLY BEING CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT. AT REQUEST OF NTSB, IT MAY BE ELEVATED TO ACCIDENT AT A LATER DATE,DUE TO MAIN ROTOR BLADE DAMAGE REPAIR. BLADES ARE CURRENTLY AT AIRFRAME MANUFACTURER FOR EVALUATION.