N133HN
Registered owner: AIR METHODS LLC, CO (owner ≠ operator)
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 |
| AIR METHODS LLC (QMLA) | Operator | 2016-01-29 – 2016-01-29 | Operator named in NTSB report |
Accident & incident history
Maintenance disclosures
OVERSIZED FASTENER HOLE DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE L/H FUSELAGE SKIN (P/N: 350A210053.BW), FWD FRAME ANGLE (P/N: 350A211036.28), AFT FRAME (P/N: 350A211240.00), LOWER FRAME (P/N: 350A211245.22), AND MAINTENANCE STEP (P/N: 350A21137.20) DURING REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE L/H MAINTENANCE STEP. THE DAMAGE CONSISTED OF OVERSIZED AND BLOWN OUT FASTENER HOLES, WITH THE LARGEST MEASURED AT 0.209.â THE LOCATION OF THIS DAMAGE IS LOCATED FROM F.S 4168MM TO 4340MM AND W.L -2066.4MM TO -2264.4MM4168. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPICAL DAMAGE AND APPROVED REPAIR PROCEDURES ARE PROVIDED IN AIRBUS REPAIR DESIGN APPROVAL RDAS-EC130-53-2025-3620A ISSUE A DATED 11 NOV 2025.
DAMAGE WAS IDENTIFIED ON THE ATTACHMENT ANGLE (PN 350A21-4064-21), AS ILLUSTRATED IN FIGURE 1 OF DOCUMENT 17-5300-EA-5339, REV. â. THE DAMAGED COMPONENT, LOCATED BENEATH THE MAIN CABIN FLOOR AT BS 845 AND SHOWN IN THE SAME FIGURE, COULD NOT BE OBTAINED IN TIME TO SUPPORT RTS, AND REPAIR BY REINFORCEMENT WAS NOT PRACTICAL. AS A RESULT, A REPLACEMENT ANGLE WAS FABRICATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AIR METHODS ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION 17-5300-EA-5339, INITIAL REVISION DATED 11/11/2025 AND WAS APPROVED BY FAA FORM 8110-3.
CHAFING DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE L/H TRANSMISSION DECK BESIDE THE 7° BULKHEAD BRACE STRUT MOUNT. THIS DAMAGE MEASURED 0.5â IN WIDTH, 0.5â IN LENGTH, AND 0.048â IN DEPTH. AN APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THE DAMAGE IS AT F.S 3640.26MM, W.L -1776.64MM, AND L.B.L -718MM. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPICAL DAMAGE REPAIR AND APPROVED REPAIR PROCEDURES ARE PROVIDED IN AIR METHODS ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION 17-5330-EA-5330, INITIAL REVISION DATED 13 NOV 2025 AND IS SUBSTANTIATED BY FAA FORM 8110-3,
CHAFING DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE TAIL BOOM L/H TRDS SUPPORT RAIL/STIFFENER SHEET (P/N: 350A231028.66) JUST FORWARD OF THE #3 TRDS BEARING SUPPORT. THIS DAMAGE IS A 0.25â IN LENGTH AND 0.1â IN HEIGHT SECTION THAT IS CHAFED THROUGH THE FULL THICKNESS OF THE RAIL. AN APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THIS DAMAGE IS AT F.S 7313MM AND W.L 1652MM. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE TYPICAL DAMAGE AND APPROVED REPAIR PROCEDURES ARE PROVIDED IN AIRBUS REPAIR DESIGN APPROVAL RDAS-EC130-53-2025-3414A ISSUE A DATED 24 OCT 2025.
FUEL QUANTITY PROBE INDICATOR UPGRADE - 00-2800-EO-3766 STC SR02492AK INSTALLED 05/26/2022 - MONTH AFTER INSTALLATION, 06/14/2022 BEGAN GETTING ERRATIC FUEL LEVEL READINGS. READING HIGH, UP/DOWN, MAXED OUT OR READING 0. REPLACED QUANTITY COMPUTER, REPLACED FUEL PROBE (SUSPECTED WATER ON PROBE, EMAIL FROM STANDARD AERO SAID "WE HIGHLY DOUBT WATER VAPOR CREATED THIS PROBLEM"), FINALLY DISCOVERED WATER GETTING INSIDE THE CONNECTOR ON THE MAIN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TO PLUMBING MODULE. WE DOUBLE HEAT SHRINKED IT AND RTV INTO THE CONNECTOR. THIS APPEARED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER IT HASNâT RAINED MUCH ON THE EAST COAST SINCE JULY. NOTE: THIS AIRCRAFT HAS NO HANGAR, BASED AT HOSPITAL PARKED OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME. WE HAVE GOTTEN RAIN FINALLY AND ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE GETTING BAD FUEL READINGS. WATER HAS GOTTEN INTO THE CONNECTORS. TODAY I BLEW WATER OUT THE CONNECTOR W/ COMPRESSED AIR, USED HEAT GUN TO EVAPORATE WATER. CORRECT FUEL READING X3 OF CYCLING POWER. APPEARED FIXED. FLIES BACK TO BASE AND FUEL LEVEL INCREASED, BUT HOLDING STEADY 20 GALLONS MORE THAN TOOK OFF WITH. TROUBLESHOOTING NOW IS TO DE PIN AND CLEAN EVERYTHING AND SEE WHAT THAT DOES UNTIL IT RAINS AGAIN. CAN WE GET SOME GUIDANCE ON HOW TO WATER PROOF THIS CONNECTOR? THIS AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC WITH THIS FUEL QUANTITY DESIGN SINCE INSTALLATION. 3 OTHER AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN THE AREA, 7317, 7371, 7481 STILL HAVE THE OLD DESIGN AND NEVER HAD ANY FUEL RELATED ISSUES.
PILOT REPORTED: ELECTRICAL/SMELL FROM HEATING/DEMISTER SYSTEM. UPON ARRIVAL AND BRIEFING FROM PILOT OF PROBLEM, HE COULD NOT EXACTLY DETERMINE THE TYPE OF SMELL. JUST ELECTRICAL CAME TO MIND, BUT THE SMELL WASNâT EXACTLY THAT. I HAD REMEMBERED SEEING A DISCREPANCY FOR DEMISTING DUCTS FROM THE HEAVY MAINTENANCE THAT WAS FINISHED UP LAST WEEK (LP 1639965). THE TECHNICIANS HAD REPLACED THE DEMISTING DUCT DUE TO "MOLDED". P/N REPLACED WAS 706A34402237. DETERMINED NEEDING TO PERFORM ENGINE RUN AND TURN ON HEATING SYSTEM TO DUPLICATE THE SYSTEM AND SMELL IT FOR MYSELF. ONCE HEATING SYSTEM BEGAN TO WARM UP, I COULD SMELL WHAT I DESCRIBE AS A PLASTIC/SEALANT SMELL AND NOTHING OF ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. BASICALLY THE SMELL DETERMINED TO BE THE DEMISTER DUCT WORK BEING NEW AND GOING THRU A HEAT CYCLE TO "BREAK IT IN". REST OF THE FORM DOES NOT NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED AS THIS WAS NOT A PART FAILURE. JUST A FEATURE OF NEW PART SETTLING IN.
CREW SMELLED BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL IN COCKPIT. TURNED OFF AC AND OTHER UNNECESSARY CONSUMERS. SMELL SOMEWHAT DISSIPATED AND WE MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT OUR COMPANY OTHER BASE AS WAS CLOSEST AND BEST OPTION. LANDED SAFELY. UPON POST FLIGHT, FOUND THAT THE AFT EVAPORATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. MECHANIC PERFORMED INSPECTION, COLLARED AND MEL'D THE A/C SYSTEM.
TOOK OFF , AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES IN FLIGHT, THE CREW STARTED TO DETECT AN ODOR OF ELECTRICAL BURNING IN THE CABIN. THE PILOT TURNED OFF THE AIR CONDITIONER AND STARTING TO HEAD BACK TO BASE IMMEDIATELY. ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS WERE WITH IN NORMAL LIMITS. THE ODOR BEGAN TO GET STRONGER AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE, AND THEN STARTED TO DISSIPATE. LANDED SAFELY BACK TO BASE. GROUND RUNS AND TEST FLIGHT WERE ACCOMPLISHED, BUT COULD NOT DULPICATE THE FAULT AT THAT TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PLACED BACK IN SERVICE.
FUEL TANK CRADLE REAR CRADLE HAS A CRACK IN THE GUSSET
TAKING OFF FROM BASE TO PR EVENT, THE MED CREW BEGAN TO SMELL ELECTRICAL TYPE BURNING SMELL WITH THE CABIN. THE SMELL WAS STRONG FROM THE PILOT SEAT SO I COULD ONLY ASSUME THAT IT WAS POSSIBLY SOMETHING FROM THE COCKPIT AREA. STARTED TO ISOLATE THE PROBLEM BY VERIFYING AIRCRAFT HEAT WAS OFF. THEN NOTICED THAT THE PILOT STATIONED A/C VENTS WERE NOT BLOWING AIR, TURNED A/C OFF. WITHIN 30 SECONDS AFTER TURNING A/C OFF, SMELL APPEARED TO DISSIPATE AND ONE ON THE GROUND (2 MINUTES LATER) CREW COULD NO LONGER SMELL THE ELECTRICAL BURNING. COULD ONLY ASSUME THAT WE WERE HAVING A/C ISSUES AND DID NOT CONTINUE TO ISOLATE THE PROBLEM ANY FURTHER WHILE IN FLIGHT. DURING OUR 3 MINUTE FLIGHT THERE WAS NEVER ANY EVIDENCE OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN. WE ABORTED THE FLIGHT AND MECHANIC WAS ALREADY ON SITE AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT.
DURING AMC EC130 B4 AAIP A0560 100HR 12 MONTH INSPECTION ITEM 5.1 CHECK, PICK UP OF WEB OF CANOPY FOUND AN 80 MM CRACK AT THE JUNCTION.
DURING SCHEDULED INSPECTION OF HORIZONTAL STABILIZER MOUNTS, FOUND RT LOWER MOUNT CRACKED, ACROSS ROW OF BOLT HOLES. ACFT OUT OF SERVICE.