N117J
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
| Operator | Role | Period | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR METHODS LLC (QMLA) | Certificate holder | — | Matched by certificate designator |
Accident & incident history
Maintenance disclosures
AIRCRAFT WAS APPROX 10NM OF KDOV, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1000-1100 MSL, AIRSPEED WAS ABOUT 130KIAS. CRUISE TORQUE WAS SET TO APPROXIMATELY 65%. PILOT HEARD A CHANGE IN BLADE NOISE FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY AN UN-COMMANDED NOSE UP PITCH. THE ACFT WAS GREATER THAN 30 DEGREES NOSE UP. CREW REPORTED THAT IT FELT LIKE WE WERE VERTICAL. PILOT PUSHED CYCLIC FWD, FELT SLIGHT DELAY BEFORE ACFT RESPONDED, & IT OVER CORRECTED TO A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE, LESS SEVERE THAN THE NOSE-UP. FELT LIKE GREATER THAN 20. PERFORMED INSPECTIONS AND MAINTENENCE CHECKS. SEE DISCREPANCY # 5-10 ON LP 2088996. NO DEFECTS NOTED AT THIS TIME. AC IS DETERMINED TO BE IN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AT HIS TIME.
ON CLIMB-OUT FROM BASE, PASSING THROUGH ABOUT 600FT MSL, THE ROLL SAS CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE COCKPIT DASH. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A WOBBLE IN THE ROLL AXIS, AND A CHANGE OF CONTROL/TRIM FORCE FEEL IN THE CYCLIC. THERE WAS ALSO A VERY STRONG SMELL OF BURNT OR BURNING WIRE IN THE COCKPIT. I MANUALLY SHUT OFF THE ROLL SAS, AND INITIATED A 180 DEGREE LEFT TURN TO RETURN TO BASE. AS I TURNED THE MEDIC IN THE CO-PILOT SEAT SAW A SLIGHT SMOKE HAZE IN THE COCKPIT ON TOP OF THE DASH. WE OPENED THE SLIDING COCKPIT DOOR WINDOWS TO CLEAR THE FUMES AND HAZE. PILOT AND CREW MADE THE APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS TO AIRCOM AND ATC. UPON LANDING PILOT TOLD THE MEDICAL CREW TO LEAVE THE AIRCRAFT AND POST FIREGUARD, AS THE PILOT COMPLETED A NORMAL SHUTDOWN. SHUTDOWN WAS UNEVENTFUL. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE POPPED, BUT THE ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WAS STILL NOTABLY PRESENT.
ON CLIMB OUT FOR AN INTERFACILITY TRANSFER, A SMELL OF FUEL WAS REPORTED BY THE MEDICAL CREWMEMBER IN THE CABIN. A FAINT SMELL COULD BE DETECTED IN COCKPIT. AS THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED AND TRANSITIONED TO CRUISE FLIGHT, THE SMELL WENT AWAY, AND WAS NOT DETECTED AGAIN DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. THE SMELL RETURNED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN THE APPROACH TO THE HOSPITAL PAD. PILOT OPENED ALL ENG & XMSN COWLINGS TO INSPECT FOR ANY FUEL LEAKS. NO FUEL LEAKS WERE IN EVIDENCE, & NO FUEL SMELL COULD BE DETECTED WHEN CONDUCTING THE INSPECTION. UPON CLIMB OUT, THE ODOR OF FUEL WAS AGAIN DETECTED, BUT WENT AWAY AGAIN WHEN AIRCRAFT TRANSITIONED TO CRUISE FLIGHT. ON APPROACH TO THE RECEIVING HOSPITAL THE SMELL OF FUEL AGAIN RETURNED. PATIENT WAS TAKEN INTO THE HOSPITAL, AND PILOT REPOSITIONED BACK TO PARKING PAD. AFTER SHUTDOWN, PILOT AGAIN INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT, LOOKING FOR A SOURCE OF THE FUEL SMELL. AGAIN, NO FUEL LEAKS WERE IN EVIDENCE. ONCE THE MEDICAL CREW RETURNED, THEY VOICED THEIR CONCERNS TO THE PILOT ABOUT THE FUEL SMELL. MEDICAL CREW ALSO REPORTED THAT THE PATIENT REPORTED FEELING NAUSEOUS AND VOMITED DURING THE TRANSPORT. MEDICAL CREW EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT THE FUEL SMELL MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PATIENT GETTING SICK IN THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT CALLED THE ON-CALL MECHANIC, DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AND THE MEDICAL CREW CONCERNS. PILOT AND MECHANIC AGREED TO TAKE THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF SERVICE, SO THAT HE COULD COME IN AND FURTHER INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. A WRITE UP WAS ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK BY THE PILOT, AND AIRCRAFT STATUS REPORTED TO AIRCOM AND COMPLETE FLIGHT. MECHANIC ARRIVED WITHIN THE HOUR AND CONDUCTED A FURTHER IN-DEPTH INSPECTION. MECHANIC REPORTED A VERY FAINT SMELL OF FUEL WHEN UNDERNEATH THE AIRCRAFT, AROUND THE FUEL SUMP AREA. HE REPORTED CLEANING THE AREA WITH DEGREASER BUT FINDING TO EVIDENCE OF FLUID LEAKS. PILOT AND MECHANIC TOOK THE AIRCRAFT FOR A TEST FLIGHT TO SEE IF FUEL SMELL HAD GONE AWAY. DURING THE TEST FLIGHT, THE MECHANIC POSITIONED HIMSELF AT DIFFERENT SPOTS IN THE CABIN TO SEE IS IF HE COULD DETECT ANY SMELL OF OF FUEL. NONE WERE DETECTED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT, WHICH LASTED 16 MINUTES. AFTER RETURNING TO BASE MECHANIC ASKED ABOUT RECENT FUELING HISTORY OF THE AIRCRAFT. MECHANIC SUSPECTS THAT THE CREW WERE EITHER SMELLING EXHAUST FUMES, OR THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN TOPPED OFF IN COLD WEATHER AT NIGHT AND THAT THERMAL EXPANSION OF THE FUEL DURING THE HOTTER DAY MAY HAVE CAUSED SOME FUEL TO ACCUMULATE IN THE FUEL VENTING SYSTEM. THE FUEL VENTING SYSTEM IS LOCATED BEHIND THE BULKHEAD BY THE PATIENT IN THE CABIN. AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
LIFTED FROM SENDING FACILITY WITH PATIENT ON BOARD. UPON REACHING TDP APPROXIMATLEY 100FT AGL ROTATED AND BEGAN A CLIMB. SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION ENG CHIP FOR #1 ENG ILLIMUNATED. IMMEDIATLEY REDUCEDED COLLECTIVE AND ACCOMPLISED 360 DEGREE TURN BACK INTO WIND AND LANDED AND BASE PAD AT THE SAME HOSPITAL DEPARTED FROM.
AFTER PICKING UP THE PATIENT, ABOUT 3 MINS AFTER DEPARTURE, THE ENG 1 CHIP CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1000â ABOVE GND LEVEL. CONDUCTED THE ACFT CHECKLIST ACTIONS & DECLARED AN EMER WITH THE INTENT TO CONDUCT A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE CHIP LIGHT THEN DISAPPEARED WITH ABOUT 2 NAUTICAL MILES TO LAND & CAME ON AGAIN APPROX 1 MIN LATER. LANDED CLEAR OF THE MAIN RNWY & CONDUCTED A NORMAL SHUTDOWN. THE MECHANIC CONDUCTED MX THAT REVEALED NO FERROUS MATERIAL ON EITHER OF THE CHIP DETECTORS & A PHANTOM LIGHT WAS SUSPECTED. AFTER THE GND RUN LEAK CHECK THE ACFT WAS SIGNED UP AS AIRWORTHY. FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO OUR BASE & THEN DEBRIEFED WITH THE CREW.
ON RUN UP AT IDLE, THE CREW SMELLED A BURNING ODOR, NEAR RT AFT SEAT & COPILOT SEAT. INVESTIGATED & COULD NOT DUPLICATE ANY ODOR. LOOKED FOR SIGNS OF ELEC COMPONENTS THAT HAVE OVERHEATED. NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. GND RAN ACFT & TEST FLEW WITH NO ADDITIONAL ODOR. RETURNED ACFT TO SERVICE. ATA CODE 2140 USED AS A REFERENCE EVEN THOUGH THE SOURCE OF THIS SMELL COULD NOT BE FOUND.
WIRE 1PB2 IN OVERHEAD CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL WAS FOUND TO HAVE INSULATION CHAFED IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. ONE LOCATION IS CHAFED THROUGH EXPOSING THE CONDUCTOR. A CORRESPONDING CHAFE AREA WAS FOUND JUST BELOW THE AIRFRAME PASS-THROUGH OF THE LT ENGINE POWER LEVER TELEFLEX CABLE. THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED ROUTING. CORRECTED BY CUTTING OUT DAMAGE AND REROUTE.
DURING INSP OF TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX CHIP DETECTOR DISCOVERED CRACK IN VERTICAL FIN NOSE RIB AT TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX ATTACHMENT POINT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX FITTING WAS ALSO CRACKED AT UPPER LT CORNER. ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE FOR REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF PARTS.
DURING ACFT AIRWORTHINESS INSP, DISCOVERED CRACK IN VERTICAL FIN NOSE RIB AT TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX ATTACHMENT POINT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX FITTING WAS ALSO CRACKED AT UPPER LT CORNER. REPLACED FITTING AND NOSE RIB.
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT WITH PATIENT ONBOARD, ENG 1 CHIP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ATTEMPTED TO PULSE CHIP THREE TIMES WITHOUT ENG 1 CHIP LIGHT EXTINGUISHING. EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUTDOWN PERFORMED ON ENG 1 IAW WITH RFM, EMERGENCY DECLARED WITH LOCAL APPROACH CONTROL. PERFORMED A RUN ON LANDING TO TAXIWAY ALPHA. REMOVED SCAVENGE CHIP DETECTOR AND FOUND (2) SMALL CHIPS CLASSIFIED AS MINOR IN MM. CLEANED CHIP DETECTOR AND PERFORMED GROUND RUN AND FUNCTIONAL FLIGHT CHECK. NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. RECHECKED CHIP DETECTOR AND FOUND CLEAN. RETURNED ACFT TO SERVICE.