What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Date: may 20, 2024 time of departure: 03:55 MDT last departure point: UT06, logan, Utah, usa; privacy data omitted; flight type: scene call in the high uintas.
Incident summary: at approximately 0330, the communications center (cc) requested a scene call in the high uintas for a patient in the woods, with summit sar still in the process of connecting with the patient's party. It was noted that another operator had turned down the flight due to smoke and visibility concerns, and dps did not want to respond at that time. Conditions included some clouds and zero moon illumination.
Preparation and departure: after receiving initial details, the pilot reviewed the flight on foreflight, assessed fuel requirements, and added additional fuel to ensure loiter time if needed. The crew was briefed about the potential for reduced visibility and prepared for departure. The pilot performed risk assessments considering night shift, flight between 2-6 am, unfamiliar destination, and technical flight. They departed after fueling.
Flight details:
Enroute, it was discussed that the flight was turned down by another operator due to visibility issues.
Dps indicated they would wait until sunrise.
Initially, the landing zone (lz) was at 9300’, and then changed to elizabeth ridge at 10,276’ about five minutes out.
On approach to the new lz, the sar team provided good visibility with their vehicles' lights. The lz was inspected and deemed adequate, though surrounded by taller trees.
Incident details:
During the second pass, the lz was confirmed to be suitable but challenging due to terrain and potential for brown-out.
On approach, the sar team shut down their lights, and the crew cleared the aircraft for obstacles and dust.
A high torque warning at 111% was noted. Given the proximity of trees, a go-around was not feasible.
The aircraft landed with the nose veering uncontrollably to the right, approximately 90 degrees, and the right side landing gear collapsed upon touchdown.
Emergency engine shutdown was initiated, and the crew confirmed their safety and reported the hard landing to cc.
Damage:
Left main landing gear and associated structure collapsed.
Underside of the aircraft, including puncture of fuselage from ground debris.
Contributing factors:
Mid-flight change of lz and increased landing site altitude.
Post-incident actions:
Limited cell-phone service was utilized to update cc.
The crew completed a walk-around inspection, confirming no evidence of blade strike and documenting the damage.
The takeoff weight for the aircraft was 3013.8 kgs. According to the AW109SP rotorcraft manual, figure 4-9 (hover ige max continuous power aeo), the aircraft was outside of the limitations at that weight, given the temperature at the time and the pressure altitude of the landing zone (approximately 12,141 feet).
As the FAA filed it
DATE: MAY 20, 2024 TIME OF DEPARTURE: 03:55 MDT LAST DEPARTURE POINT: UT06, LOGAN, UTAH, USA; ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^; FLIGHT TYPE: SCENE CALL IN THE HIGH UINTAS.
INCIDENT SUMMARY: AT APPROXIMATELY 0330, THE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER (CC) REQUESTED A SCENE CALL IN THE HIGH UINTAS FOR A PATIENT IN THE WOODS, WITH SUMMIT SAR STILL IN THE PROCESS OF CONNECTING WITH THE PATIENT'S PARTY. IT WAS NOTED THAT ANOTHER OPERATOR HAD TURNED DOWN THE FLIGHT DUE TO SMOKE AND VISIBILITY CONCERNS, AND DPS DID NOT WANT TO RESPOND AT THAT TIME. CONDITIONS INCLUDED SOME CLOUDS AND ZERO MOON ILLUMINATION.
PREPARATION AND DEPARTURE: AFTER RECEIVING INITIAL DETAILS, THE PILOT REVIEWED THE FLIGHT ON FOREFLIGHT, ASSESSED FUEL REQUIREMENTS, AND ADDED ADDITIONAL FUEL TO ENSURE LOITER TIME IF NEEDED. THE CREW WAS BRIEFED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR REDUCED VISIBILITY AND PREPARED FOR DEPARTURE. THE PILOT PERFORMED RISK ASSESSMENTS CONSIDERING NIGHT SHIFT, FLIGHT BETWEEN 2-6 AM, UNFAMILIAR DESTINATION, AND TECHNICAL FLIGHT. THEY DEPARTED AFTER FUELING.
FLIGHT DETAILS:
ENROUTE, IT WAS DISCUSSED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS TURNED DOWN BY ANOTHER OPERATOR DUE TO VISIBILITY ISSUES.
DPS INDICATED THEY WOULD WAIT UNTIL SUNRISE.
INITIALLY, THE LANDING ZONE (LZ) WAS AT 9300’, AND THEN CHANGED TO ELIZABETH RIDGE AT 10,276’ ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OUT.
ON APPROACH TO THE NEW LZ, THE SAR TEAM PROVIDED GOOD VISIBILITY WITH THEIR VEHICLES' LIGHTS. THE LZ WAS INSPECTED AND DEEMED ADEQUATE, THOUGH SURROUNDED BY TALLER TREES.
INCIDENT DETAILS:
DURING THE SECOND PASS, THE LZ WAS CONFIRMED TO BE SUITABLE BUT CHALLENGING DUE TO TERRAIN AND POTENTIAL FOR BROWN-OUT.
ON APPROACH, THE SAR TEAM SHUT DOWN THEIR LIGHTS, AND THE CREW CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT FOR OBSTACLES AND DUST.
A HIGH TORQUE WARNING AT 111% WAS NOTED. GIVEN THE PROXIMITY OF TREES, A GO-AROUND WAS NOT FEASIBLE.
THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE NOSE VEERING UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE RIGHT, APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES, AND THE RIGHT SIDE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED UPON TOUCHDOWN.
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUTDOWN WAS INITIATED, AND THE CREW CONFIRMED THEIR SAFETY AND REPORTED THE HARD LANDING TO CC.
DAMAGE:
LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND ASSOCIATED STRUCTURE COLLAPSED.
UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING PUNCTURE OF FUSELAGE FROM GROUND DEBRIS.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
MID-FLIGHT CHANGE OF LZ AND INCREASED LANDING SITE ALTITUDE.
POST-INCIDENT ACTIONS:
LIMITED CELL-PHONE SERVICE WAS UTILIZED TO UPDATE CC.
THE CREW COMPLETED A WALK-AROUND INSPECTION, CONFIRMING NO EVIDENCE OF BLADE STRIKE AND DOCUMENTING THE DAMAGE.
THE TAKEOFF WEIGHT FOR THE AIRCRAFT WAS 3013.8 KGS. ACCORDING TO THE AW109SP ROTORCRAFT MANUAL, FIGURE 4-9 (HOVER IGE MAX CONTINUOUS POWER AEO), THE AIRCRAFT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE LIMITATIONS AT THAT WEIGHT, GIVEN THE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME AND THE PRESSURE ALTITUDE OF THE LANDING ZONE (APPROXIMATELY 12,141 FEET).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.