20190303000829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 · Union Center, SD · March 3, 2019

Date: March 3, 2019 · 00:13 local
Place: Union Center, SD
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: QMLA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N450AM
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN19LA092
Reported as: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N450AMRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407S/N 54435 · Built 2013 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 Engine modelRolls-Royce 250-C47BTurbo-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.

On March 03, 2019, at 00:13HRS. Local time, a Bell 407 helicopter, registered to and operated by air methods corp. was involved in an accident after landing and during the cool down/shut down operations to pick-up a patient. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged. None of the 3 crewmembers were injured. The flight originated from spearfish, SD on March 2 at 2337 hrs. Local time.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 03, 2019, AT 00:13HRS. LOCAL TIME, A BELL 407 HELICOPTER, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY AIR METHODS CORP. WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AFTER LANDING AND DURING THE COOL DOWN/SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS TO PICK-UP A PATIENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NONE OF THE 3 CREWMEMBERS WERE INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SPEARFISH, SD ON MARCH 2 AT 2337 HRS. LOCAL TIME.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN19LA092Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportUnion Center, SDThe ambulance driver’s failure to see the helicopter’s rotating main rotor blades in dark night conditions, which resulted in the ambulance’s inadvertent collision with the helicopter. Contributing to the accident was the ambulance driver's failure to follow…Mar 3, 2019 · Substantial damage