What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 7, 2018, approximately 2123 central daylight time, a Eurocopter EC135 P1 impacted terrain during an emergency autorotation following a dual engine failure while transporting a patient near Chicago, Illinois. The pilot and paramedic received minor injuries, while the flight nurse sustained serious injuries. The patient was not injured during the accident. The helicopter incurred substantial damage to the fuselage, tailboom, and main rotor blades. The helicopter was registered to bennett aviation, LLC, and operated by pentastar aviation charter as a part 135 on demand air ambulance flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and the flight was operated under a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight departed st. mary medical center, hobart, Indiana (hobart hospital according to the pilot), at 2110, and was destined for advocate christ medical center (christ hospital Chicago according to the pilot), oak lawn, Illinois. The aircraft was traveling northwest at about 1700 feet AGL when the pilot requested a turn back from ATC towards gary, Indiana. A short time later the pilot declared a mayday and stated that the helicopter was going down into a field. The helicopter came to rest upright between interstate 94 and interstate 57.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 7, 2018, APPROXIMATELY 2123 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A EUROCOPTER EC135 P1 IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION FOLLOWING A DUAL ENGINE FAILURE WHILE TRANSPORTING A PATIENT NEAR CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. THE PILOT AND PARAMEDIC RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, WHILE THE FLIGHT NURSE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE PATIENT WAS NOT INJURED DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, TAILBOOM, AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO BENNETT AVIATION, LLC, AND OPERATED BY PENTASTAR AVIATION CHARTER AS A PART 135 ON DEMAND AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ST. MARY MEDICAL CENTER, HOBART, INDIANA (HOBART HOSPITAL ACCORDING TO THE PILOT), AT 2110, AND WAS DESTINED FOR ADVOCATE CHRIST MEDICAL CENTER (CHRIST HOSPITAL CHICAGO ACCORDING TO THE PILOT), OAK LAWN, ILLINOIS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 1700 FEET AGL WHEN THE PILOT REQUESTED A TURN BACK FROM ATC TOWARDS GARY, INDIANA. A SHORT TIME LATER THE PILOT DECLARED A MAYDAY AND STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS GOING DOWN INTO A FIELD. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST UPRIGHT BETWEEN INTERSTATE 94 AND INTERSTATE 57.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.