N125LN
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
No NTSB accidents or incidents on file for this aircraft.
Maintenance disclosures
DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, FOUND THE LANDING GEAR DAMPER LOWER ATTACH BOLT, AN 8 MM SHANK TITANIUM BOLT. INSTALLED A NEW BOLT SHEARED DURING THE TORQUE PROCEEDURE. THE SECOND NEW BOLT SHEARED IN THE SAME FASHION AS THE FIRST PRIOR TO REACHING THE TORQUE REQUIREMENTS.
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, ENG P LIGHT ILLUMINATED, FOLLOWED BY THE FIRE LIGHT 5 SECONDS LATER. SMOKE STARTED FILLING THE COCKPIT. THE PILOT INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT, AND A POWER-ON LANDING WAS MADE. AIRCRAFT WAS SHUTDOWN USING FFCL AND THE FUEL SHUT-OFF LEVER. THE PILOT THEN EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. A ENGINE FIRE AND SMOKE WERE CONFIRMED AROUND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AFTER EVACUATION. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WAS LIMITED TO THE GENERAL AREA OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS AIRCRAFT REMAINS OUT OF SERVICE AT THE TIME OF THIS SUBMISSION.
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT ON RETURN TO BASE LEG FOLLOWING PATIENT DROP OFF, A NOTICEABLE ACRID & BURNING TYPE ODOR IN THE COCKPIT & CABIN AREA WAS NOTICED, WHICH INCREASED IN INTENSITY OVER THE NEXT MINUTE OR SO. CONCURRENT WITH THIS A LACK OF COOLING AIR FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS NOTICED. SYS WAS SHUTDOWN, HOWEVER THE ODOR CONTINUED TO INCREASE ALONG WITH AN INCREASING FUME HAZE IN THE CABIN. DECISION WAS MADE TO DECLARE AN EMER & TO LAND. A NORMAL LANDING & ENG SHUTDOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON A NON-MOVEMENT PARKING RAMP AREA AT THE AIRPORT. NO FURTHER INDICATIONS WERE NOTED. MECHANICS SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THAT THE CLUTCH ON THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR HAD SEIZED WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVE BELT TO SLIP, OVERHEAT & CAUSE SMOKE & FUMES. VERIFIED THE AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSER PULLEY WOULD NOT ROTATE, REMOVING THE DAMAGED AIR CONDITIONER BELT & PLACED AIR CONDITIONER SYS ON MEL. ACFT RELEASED FOR FLIGHT, PART ORDERED AOG. PART CHANGED THE NEXT DAY.
UNUSUAL SMELL AS RETURNING TO BASE FOLLOWING A BASE TRANSFER. MADE DECISION TO LAND AT THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE TURN EXECUTED TO NAVIGATE TO THE AIRPORT PUT THEM IN HEAVY RAIN WHICH DIMINISHED VISIBILITY. AT THIS TIME HE NOTICED A FUEL P LIGHT ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE PILOT DECIDED TO DISCONTINUE THE FLIGHT PATH TO THE AIRPORT & TURNED AWAY FROM THE HEAVY RAIN. DURING THIS TURN, A GEN LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS WELL. DECIDED TO LAND THE ACFT IN A NEARBY PARKING LOT. HIS DECISION NOT TO RESET THE GEN WAS DUE TO THE OBVIOUS SMELL IN THE CABIN & THE POSSIBILITY OF ESCALATING THE ALREADY PROBLEMATIC SITUATION. ONLY SECONDS AFTER THE ILLUMINATION OF THE GEN LIGHT, THE COMMUNICATION RADIOS DROPPED OFF LINE AS WELL AS ALL THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS & LANDING LIGHTS. THERE WAS ALSO SOME BRIEF ERRATIC NG INDICATIONS. THE STARTER GEN HAD FAILED ON THE GEN SIDE. THE STARTER GEN WAS REPLACED & THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
THE PILOT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR IN THE CABIN ALONG WITH A HEAT/TEMPERATURE RISE. IMMEDIATELY LANDED AND NOTIFIED MX. MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR APPEARED TO HAVE LOST OIL RETENTION THROUGH THE DRIVE PULLEY SEAL. THE COMPRESSOR AND CLUTCH SHOWED NO OUTWARD VISIBLE DEFECTS OTHER THAN THE OIL LOSS. SUSPECT AN INTERNAL DISCREPANCY TO THE COMPRESSOR. DURING A GROUND RUN, THE COMPRESSOR WAS OBSERVED TO ENGAGE/DISENGAGE THROUGH THE CLUTCH SYSTEM ABNORMALLY CAUSING A LACK OF COOLING AIR PROVIDED TO THE CABIN. THE COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED WITH A SERVICEABLE PART. THE DRIVE PULLEY AND BELT WAS INSPECTED, SYSTEM SERVICED AND GROUND RUN WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
THE MECHANIC INSTALLED MODULE. DURING INSTALLATION THE FUEL INLET UNION PIPE AND B-NUT, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE UNION MOVED. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY APPARENT THAT THIS UNION HAD NOT BEEN TORQUED. UPON A VISUL INSP OF THE UNION, THE CRUSH GASKET DID NOT APPEAR TO BE SEATED AND THE MOUNTING HARDWARE SHOWED ONLY A .5 THREAD COUNT. IAW THE CURRENT MM TASK FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE UNION 72-43-00-900-805-B01. THE TASK REFERENCES THE STANDARD TORQUE FOR THE HARDWARE CONTAINED IN CHAPTER 70-41-00-850-801.
DURING INSTALLATION OF MODULE 2/3, MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE DEFLECTOR NUT COTTER PIN WAS NOT INSTALLED IN THE OVERHAULED MODULE. CHECKED OTHER MODULE 2/3 THAT WAS REMOVED FROM ACFT, AND FOUND THAT THIS COTTER PIN WAS MISSING FROM THAT MODULE AS WELL.
THIS ACFT ARRIVED ON FEBRUARY 7, 2011 FOR AN ENGINE MODULE 2/3 CHANGE. THE MECHANIC REMOVED THE O/H UNIT FROM THE SHIPPING CONTAINER AND VERIFIED THE PAPERWORK. HE THEN REMOVED THE ENGINE FROM THE ACFT TO FACILITATE THE MODULE CHANGE. ONCE THE REINSTALLATION OF THE O/H MODULE 2/3 BEGAN, THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE DEFLECTOR NUT COTTER PIN WAS NOT INSTALLED. THE MECHANIC THEN REFERENCED BACK TO THE MM, WHERE IT IS ALSO ADDRESSED IN A NOTE IN THAT SAME PARAGRAPH. THE INSTALLATION OF THE MODULE 2/3 WAS STOPPED AT THAT POINT, AND THE FIELD TECH FOR MFG WAS CONTACTED FOR VERIFICATION.
DURING MEDICAL FLIGHT, CREW ENCOUNTERED FUMES AND SLIGHT SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. PILOT SHUTDOWN A/C THEN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER IAW CHECKLIST. CREW DEVIATED, APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES DISTANCE. AIRCRAFT LANDED AND SHUTDOWN WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUBSEQUENT MAINTENANCE EVALUATION SHOWED THE A/C COMPRESSOR WAS SEIZING. NEW COMPRESSOR ORDERED. NO OTHER DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT NOR HARM TO CREW.