# Accident 20230828022749A: Eurocopter Deutschland Gmbh EC135T1, Pompano Beach, FL, August 28, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 28, 2023, 08:44 local time
- Place: Pompano Beach, FL
- Airport: Pompano Air Park
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: B1EA
- Location: 26.2403° N, 80.1222° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.2403&lon=-80.1222&mi=10
- Aircraft: N109BC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N109BC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter Deutschland EC135T1 (registry code 5620026, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-deutschland-ec135t1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIUS-2B1 (registry code 60015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arrius-2b1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND GMBH EC135T1
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIUS
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 4,035 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA23FA352](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA352) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230828022749A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

A EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND GMBH EC135T1, N109BC, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. ONE PARAMEDIC ONBOARD AND A RESIDENT OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING WERE FATALLY INJURED, WHILE A SECOND PARAMEDIC ONBOARD WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 AIR MEDICAL FLIGHT.

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS DISPATCHED TO TRANSPORT A PATIENT FROM THE SCENE OF AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. DURING INITIAL CLIMB, WEST OF POMPANO BEACH AIRPARK

(PMP), POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA, ABOUT 300 TO 400 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE PILOT HEARD A “BANG” FROM THE REAR OF THE HELICOPTER AND NOTICED THAT THE TURBINE OUTLET TEMPERATURE (TOT) WAS RISING ON THE NO. 1 ENGINE. HE SET THE NO.1 ENGINE THROTTLE TO IDLE, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, AND REVERSED DIRECTION TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. HE SCANNED THE COCKPIT INSTRUMENT PANEL AND NOTICED THAT THE NO.1 ENGINE FIRE BUTTON HAD ILLUMINATED. HE PRESSED THE

BUTTON TO ACTIVATE THE FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM; HOWEVER, THE TOT CONTINUED TO RISE ON THE NO. 1 ENGINE. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY HEARD A SECOND “BANG,” AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE HELICOPTER. IT SPUN AND DESCENDED INTO AN APARTMENT BUILDING.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA23FA352](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA352), Aug 28, 2023: Eurocopter EC135 (N109BC), Pompano Beach, FL, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: An inflight fire outside of the engine firewalls, likely from overheating of the No. 1 engine for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a partial tailboom separation.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.