Prelim on Fatal HEMS Crash in SC

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues to probe the fatal accident of an emergency medical service (EMS) helicopter near Georgetown, SC on Sept. 25, 2009, issuing a preliminary report on the crash that killed the pilot, the flight nurse and a paramedic onboard the chopper. It marked the first fatal HEMS accident this year.

The Eurocopter AS-350 B2 (N417AE) helicopter EMS (HEMS) owned and operated by Omniflight Helicopters crashed at about 11:30 p.m. ET during while returning to home base after dropping off a patient in Charleston about two hours earlier.

The chopper impacted terrain near Georgetown County Airport (GGE).Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was activated for the Part 91 positioning flight which departed from Charleston AFB/International Airport (CHS), Charleston, SC, destined for Conway-Horry County Airport (HYW), Conway, SC, a city about 50 miles north of Georgetown.

The AS-350 B2 departed HYW at 2023 for Georgetown Memorial Hospital (GMC) to conduct an patient transfer to Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, SC.

The helicopter landed at GMC, picked up a 10-year old girl in respiratory distress and departed for MUSC where the crew off-loaded the patient. The helicopter departed MUSC for CHS to gas up. After refueling, the aircraft departed for HYW, advising MUSC flight control that they had two hours and 45 minutes of fuel onboard and would be flying at 1,500 feet above mean sea level (msl), with an estimated arrival at HYW in 45 minutes.

At 2316, the pilot advised the communications specialist in MUSC's flight control via radio, that they were at 1,000 feet msl, indicating 110 knots, and estimating that they should arrive in 29 minutes.

No further communications from the pilot were received.

The FAA said the doomed chopper departed CHS at 2305, eastbound, VFR, receiving flight following to Mt. Pleasant Regional Airport-Faison Field (LRO), Mount Pleasant, SC. The pilot reported LRO in sight at six miles at 2309, and CHS tower terminated service. The accident helicopter then flew past LRO towards GGE.

CHS tower reviewed radar data in an attempt to locate the accident helicopter and observed that it had continued past LRO. Radar data also showed weather 20 to 30 miles east of LRO. At 0122 after determining the last recorded radar position, CHS tower forwarded the information to the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office and Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZJX).

A weather observation taken at CHS about nine minutes prior to the accident helicopter's departure, recorded the wind as 020 degrees at 11 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, broken clouds at 6,000 feet, broken clouds at 8,000 feet, temperature 26 degrees Celsius, dew point 23 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.09 inches of mercury.

Twenty-three minutes after the accident helicopter departed however, light rain began to fall at CHS.

Review of preliminary radar data provided by NOAA revealed that after passing LRO, the helicopter entered an area of convective activity and precipitation.

Weather reports for the area surrounding the accident site were not available, as the automated weather observation station (AWOS) at GGE had been out of service for approximately six weeks. However, witnesses who observed the helicopter just prior to the accident described its flight path as paralleling US Route 17, in the direction of GGE, in moderate to heavy rain.

Radar data and satellite tracking of the flight indicated the last target was located approximately 1.92 nautical miles southwest of GGE, which coincided with the approximate location of the actual wreckage.

Examination of the accident site and wreckage by NTSB investigators revealed visible scorching of the trees surrounding the main wreckage to an approximate height of 30 feet above the ground, and that the helicopter had impacted terrain in an approximate 60-degree nose down attitude.

Further examination revealed that the wreckage had come to rest inverted in sawdust and loose soil on a magnetic heading of 156 degrees, and a post-crash fire had had consumed the majority of the helicopter.

Evidence of unburned jet fuel also existed at the scene. The debris path was approximately 22 feet long and 39 feet wide, and a three-foot deep crater existed beneath the main wreckage.

All the major components of the helicopter were accounted for at the scene.

Examination of the main wreckage revealed no evidence of any pre-impact failures or malfunctions of the engine, drivetrain, main rotor, tail rotor, or structure of the helicopter. Additionally, there was no indication of an in-flight fire.

The helicopter was manufactured in 2000. It was not approved for operation in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). It was not equipped with a night vision imaging system, an autopilot or a terrain avoidance warning system.

The most recent 500-hour inspection was completed on September 17, 2009. At the time of the inspection, the helicopter had accrued 2,967.3 total hours of operation.

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine-land, airplane-multiengine-land, rotorcraft-helicopter, and instrument airplane and helicopter. He did not meet instrument currency requirements as would be required by federal aviation regulations for flight conducted in IMC. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on July 21, 2009. He reported a total flight time of 4,600 flight hours on that date.

The helicopter was retained by the NTSB for further examination.