What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 11:00 pm, an ec 135 T2+ helicopter was dispatched for a FAR 135 helicopter air ambulance (haa) medical transport. Upon arriving at the landing zone (lz), the pilot attempted an approach but found the terrain required a steeper descent than anticipated, leading to a decision to go-around.
During the second approach to the unimproved gravel lz, both the nurse, who was occupying the front crew seat, and the pilot observed and verbalized that dust conditions were beginning to develop. Due to the proximity of obstacles and reduced visibility, the pilot elected to continue the landing. As the helicopter neared the ground, it encountered sudden brownout conditions. The pilot attempted to maintain a level attitude and land; however, the helicopter drifted and collided with a pavement berm, resulting in a dynamic rollover.
The pilot, two medical crewmembers, and one medical ride-along passenger were able to extricate themselves from the aircraft with no reported injuries.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 PM, AN EC 135 T2+ HELICOPTER WAS DISPATCHED FOR A FAR 135 HELICOPTER AIR AMBULANCE (HAA) MEDICAL TRANSPORT. UPON ARRIVING AT THE LANDING ZONE (LZ), THE PILOT ATTEMPTED AN APPROACH BUT FOUND THE TERRAIN REQUIRED A STEEPER DESCENT THAN ANTICIPATED, LEADING TO A DECISION TO GO-AROUND.
DURING THE SECOND APPROACH TO THE UNIMPROVED GRAVEL LZ, BOTH THE NURSE, WHO WAS OCCUPYING THE FRONT CREW SEAT, AND THE PILOT OBSERVED AND VERBALIZED THAT DUST CONDITIONS WERE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP. DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF OBSTACLES AND REDUCED VISIBILITY, THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE LANDING. AS THE HELICOPTER NEARED THE GROUND, IT ENCOUNTERED SUDDEN BROWNOUT CONDITIONS. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL ATTITUDE AND LAND; HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER DRIFTED AND COLLIDED WITH A PAVEMENT BERM, RESULTING IN A DYNAMIC ROLLOVER.
THE PILOT, TWO MEDICAL CREWMEMBERS, AND ONE MEDICAL RIDE-ALONG PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO EXTRICATE THEMSELVES FROM THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO REPORTED INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.