What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the evening of October 6th, 2021, approximately 2116 EDT, privacy data omitted, N505TJ, a Bell 429 helicopter air ambulance, operating under 14 CFR 135 ? On demand, experienced a loss of control which led to a hard landing in a field just north of the perimeter fence at Genesee County Airport, kgvq. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. There were no reported injuries to the pilot, or any of the 3 flight nurses that were on board.
Additional details: privacy data omitted had been dispatched to a medivac scene privacy data omitted that evening, where they loaded a patient and then transported the patient to privacy data omitted helipad (2NY5), arriving at approximately 20:29. They departed strong helipad about 21:04 to reposition VFR back to kgvq.
The pilot and two of the three flight nurses onboard were using night vision goggles (nvgs). The third flight nurse was a trainee and had not yet completed NVG training. The pilot decided to conduct a practice approach ? RNAV 28 with vertical guidance, and self-vectored to final, under VFR. All 4 axis of the autopilot were coupled for the approach.
The weather on the field had previously been reported as VFR, with no instrument conditions reported in the TAF. The METAR issued approximately 19 minutes before the time of the event read:
METAR: kgvq 070056Z auto 13005KT 8SM BKN002 16/16 A3031 rmk AO2 SLP263 T01560156
Which shows rapidly deteriorating ceiling and visibility conditions from the previous report.
The pilot stated that he had the runway and the runway lights in sight, while under nvgs on the approach, and at approximately 200? AGL encountered a fog bank and lost sight of the runway. He performed an immediate climbing right turn in an attempt to exit the fog, but neglected to decouple all 4 axis of the autopilot. He momentarily climbed above the fog, but struggled to maintain control due to the opposing commands of the autopilot. He descended back into the fog while continuing to drift north of the runway. The aircraft struck the ground skids first and bounced an additional 68 feet before impacting the ground upright just north of the northern airport perimeter fence, about 900 feet north of the approach end of runway 28.
The pilot and all 3 flight nurses were able to evacuate the aircraft safely and under their own power, and were all taken to a local hospital for evaluation and released.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
From the airworthiness inspector?s report:
Discovered aircraft approximately 50 feet north of gvq airport fence line in a field of low grass. There was a tree line to the west approximately 50 feet. No evidence of rotor strikes. Both left and right skids and steps crushed flat to ground and associated mounting points bent or broken. Found cracks on forward of LH side window and around frame. Found significant cracks on LH side aft sliding door. Tail lower tip has strike/damage. Crack found on RH aft sliding door frame. Crack found on aft RH door frame. RH seat forced down. Airworthiness certificate and registration located: current. Data plate intact. Flight data downloaded by privacy data omitted.
Found initial strike approximately 68 feet to the east from final resting place.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE EVENING OF OCTOBER 6TH, 2021, APPROXIMATELY 2116 EDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, N505TJ, A BELL 429 HELICOPTER AIR AMBULANCE, OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR 135 ? ON DEMAND, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL WHICH LED TO A HARD LANDING IN A FIELD JUST NORTH OF THE PERIMETER FENCE AT GENESEE COUNTY AIRPORT, KGVQ. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES TO THE PILOT, OR ANY OF THE 3 FLIGHT NURSES THAT WERE ON BOARD.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD BEEN DISPATCHED TO A MEDIVAC SCENE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT EVENING, WHERE THEY LOADED A PATIENT AND THEN TRANSPORTED THE PATIENT TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HELIPAD (2NY5), ARRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20:29. THEY DEPARTED STRONG HELIPAD ABOUT 21:04 TO REPOSITION VFR BACK TO KGVQ.
THE PILOT AND TWO OF THE THREE FLIGHT NURSES ONBOARD WERE USING NIGHT VISION GOGGLES (NVGS). THE THIRD FLIGHT NURSE WAS A TRAINEE AND HAD NOT YET COMPLETED NVG TRAINING. THE PILOT DECIDED TO CONDUCT A PRACTICE APPROACH ? RNAV 28 WITH VERTICAL GUIDANCE, AND SELF-VECTORED TO FINAL, UNDER VFR. ALL 4 AXIS OF THE AUTOPILOT WERE COUPLED FOR THE APPROACH.
THE WEATHER ON THE FIELD HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPORTED AS VFR, WITH NO INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS REPORTED IN THE TAF. THE METAR ISSUED APPROXIMATELY 19 MINUTES BEFORE THE TIME OF THE EVENT READ:
METAR: KGVQ 070056Z AUTO 13005KT 8SM BKN002 16/16 A3031 RMK AO2 SLP263 T01560156
WHICH SHOWS RAPIDLY DETERIORATING CEILING AND VISIBILITY CONDITIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS REPORT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD THE RUNWAY AND THE RUNWAY LIGHTS IN SIGHT, WHILE UNDER NVGS ON THE APPROACH, AND AT APPROXIMATELY 200? AGL ENCOUNTERED A FOG BANK AND LOST SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. HE PERFORMED AN IMMEDIATE CLIMBING RIGHT TURN IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXIT THE FOG, BUT NEGLECTED TO DECOUPLE ALL 4 AXIS OF THE AUTOPILOT. HE MOMENTARILY CLIMBED ABOVE THE FOG, BUT STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL DUE TO THE OPPOSING COMMANDS OF THE AUTOPILOT. HE DESCENDED BACK INTO THE FOG WHILE CONTINUING TO DRIFT NORTH OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND SKIDS FIRST AND BOUNCED AN ADDITIONAL 68 FEET BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND UPRIGHT JUST NORTH OF THE NORTHERN AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE, ABOUT 900 FEET NORTH OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 28.
THE PILOT AND ALL 3 FLIGHT NURSES WERE ABLE TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY AND UNDER THEIR OWN POWER, AND WERE ALL TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION AND RELEASED.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
FROM THE AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR?S REPORT:
DISCOVERED AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET NORTH OF GVQ AIRPORT FENCE LINE IN A FIELD OF LOW GRASS. THERE WAS A TREE LINE TO THE WEST APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET. NO EVIDENCE OF ROTOR STRIKES. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SKIDS AND STEPS CRUSHED FLAT TO GROUND AND ASSOCIATED MOUNTING POINTS BENT OR BROKEN. FOUND CRACKS ON FORWARD OF LH SIDE WINDOW AND AROUND FRAME. FOUND SIGNIFICANT CRACKS ON LH SIDE AFT SLIDING DOOR. TAIL LOWER TIP HAS STRIKE/DAMAGE. CRACK FOUND ON RH AFT SLIDING DOOR FRAME. CRACK FOUND ON AFT RH DOOR FRAME. RH SEAT FORCED DOWN. AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND REGISTRATION LOCATED: CURRENT. DATA PLATE INTACT. FLIGHT DATA DOWNLOADED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
FOUND INITIAL STRIKE APPROXIMATELY 68 FEET TO THE EAST FROM FINAL RESTING PLACE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.