What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Around 7: 22 pm air ambulance helicopter bk -117 with tail number of N238BK lifted off from its farmington, MO station for st francis hospital in cape girardeau MO (MO50) for a patient pick up. Crew picked up the patient and departed to its destination of children hospital in st. louis MO. Approximately 16 minutes into the flight one of the two engines flamed out. As a result of losing one engine the helicopter which was cruising at 1700 ft. lost altitude and came down to 400 ft. at 400 ft the second engine also flamed out. The pilot executed an autorotation into a bean feild hitting the ground hard. As a result, it broke the right side skid. Looking at the skid marks one can tell that the fuselage skidded about 50 ft. on its left side skid and right side of the bottom of the belly and eventually came to a stop on its right side.
The crew had some minor cuts and bruises. The patient who was protected by the flight medical crew escaped unhurt. EMS took the crew to perry county hospital and the patient was transported to children hospital by road. According the administrative nurse on duty the crew refused to get checked out or get medical treatment and walked away. She also stated that someone from farmington had come to pick them up.
Accident investigation was assigned to insp hsp of st. louis FSDO. Sunday morning on 7/2/2017 I arrived at the scene and found the wreckage about 500FT from the road in a bean field. The helicopter was laying on its right side with the rotor blades broken off at the hub and the tail boom separated from the main body. I found that the vents on the bottom of the aircraft were plugged with twigs. During my investigation I found the main pumps were still in the open position with guards on and the fuel transfer pumps in off position. I flipped off the main fuel pumps after taking several pictures with air methods employee as a witness. I took several more pictures of every control, switches and panel gauges. I climbed out of the cockpit and took some pictures of the skid marks and the area that the helicopter first hit.
After looking at all the possibilities and talking to everyone involved with this operation and the aircraft manufacturer?s representative, it looks like the pilot had not turned the fuel transfer pumps on as required by the checklist. These pumps feed the individual tanks which feeds the fuel to the engine.
It is concluded that the helicopter had a duel flame out due to the fact the pilot did not turn the fuel transfer pumps on. This is clearly marked required item that is on the check list.
This investigation is closed from FAA side but this is still being investigated by NTSB. They are going to do an engine tear down and rule out any other causes of engine failures. This is being observed by FAA, NTSB and Lycoming engine and the BK-117 representatives this report may be amended at a later stage after the NTSB publish there findings
As the FAA filed it
AROUND 7: 22 PM AIR AMBULANCE HELICOPTER BK -117 WITH TAIL NUMBER OF N238BK LIFTED OFF FROM ITS FARMINGTON, MO STATION FOR ST FRANCIS HOSPITAL IN CAPE GIRARDEAU MO (MO50) FOR A PATIENT PICK UP. CREW PICKED UP THE PATIENT AND DEPARTED TO ITS DESTINATION OF CHILDREN HOSPITAL IN ST. LOUIS MO. APPROXIMATELY 16 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT ONE OF THE TWO ENGINES FLAMED OUT. AS A RESULT OF LOSING ONE ENGINE THE HELICOPTER WHICH WAS CRUISING AT 1700 FT. LOST ALTITUDE AND CAME DOWN TO 400 FT. AT 400 FT THE SECOND ENGINE ALSO FLAMED OUT. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION INTO A BEAN FEILD HITTING THE GROUND HARD. AS A RESULT, IT BROKE THE RIGHT SIDE SKID. LOOKING AT THE SKID MARKS ONE CAN TELL THAT THE FUSELAGE SKIDDED ABOUT 50 FT. ON ITS LEFT SIDE SKID AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOTTOM OF THE BELLY AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.
THE CREW HAD SOME MINOR CUTS AND BRUISES. THE PATIENT WHO WAS PROTECTED BY THE FLIGHT MEDICAL CREW ESCAPED UNHURT. EMS TOOK THE CREW TO PERRY COUNTY HOSPITAL AND THE PATIENT WAS TRANSPORTED TO CHILDREN HOSPITAL BY ROAD. ACCORDING THE ADMINISTRATIVE NURSE ON DUTY THE CREW REFUSED TO GET CHECKED OUT OR GET MEDICAL TREATMENT AND WALKED AWAY. SHE ALSO STATED THAT SOMEONE FROM FARMINGTON HAD COME TO PICK THEM UP.
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION WAS ASSIGNED TO INSP HSP OF ST. LOUIS FSDO. SUNDAY MORNING ON 7/2/2017 I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND FOUND THE WRECKAGE ABOUT 500FT FROM THE ROAD IN A BEAN FIELD. THE HELICOPTER WAS LAYING ON ITS RIGHT SIDE WITH THE ROTOR BLADES BROKEN OFF AT THE HUB AND THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN BODY. I FOUND THAT THE VENTS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE PLUGGED WITH TWIGS. DURING MY INVESTIGATION I FOUND THE MAIN PUMPS WERE STILL IN THE OPEN POSITION WITH GUARDS ON AND THE FUEL TRANSFER PUMPS IN OFF POSITION. I FLIPPED OFF THE MAIN FUEL PUMPS AFTER TAKING SEVERAL PICTURES WITH AIR METHODS EMPLOYEE AS A WITNESS. I TOOK SEVERAL MORE PICTURES OF EVERY CONTROL, SWITCHES AND PANEL GAUGES. I CLIMBED OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND TOOK SOME PICTURES OF THE SKID MARKS AND THE AREA THAT THE HELICOPTER FIRST HIT.
AFTER LOOKING AT ALL THE POSSIBILITIES AND TALKING TO EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH THIS OPERATION AND THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER?S REPRESENTATIVE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE PILOT HAD NOT TURNED THE FUEL TRANSFER PUMPS ON AS REQUIRED BY THE CHECKLIST. THESE PUMPS FEED THE INDIVIDUAL TANKS WHICH FEEDS THE FUEL TO THE ENGINE.
IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE HELICOPTER HAD A DUEL FLAME OUT DUE TO THE FACT THE PILOT DID NOT TURN THE FUEL TRANSFER PUMPS ON. THIS IS CLEARLY MARKED REQUIRED ITEM THAT IS ON THE CHECK LIST.
THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED FROM FAA SIDE BUT THIS IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED BY NTSB. THEY ARE GOING TO DO AN ENGINE TEAR DOWN AND RULE OUT ANY OTHER CAUSES OF ENGINE FAILURES. THIS IS BEING OBSERVED BY FAA, NTSB AND LYCOMING ENGINE AND THE BK-117 REPRESENTATIVES THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED AT A LATER STAGE AFTER THE NTSB PUBLISH THERE FINDINGS
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.