N135LC
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 |
Accident & incident history
No NTSB accidents or incidents on file for this aircraft.
Maintenance disclosures
DURING REINSTALLATION OF THE EHSI (ELECTRONIC HORIZONTAL SITUATION INDICATOR), THE INSTALLING TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT THE LOCKING TEETH RETAINER ON THE UNIT'S J3 CONNECTOR WOULD NOT LOCK AS EXPECTED WHEN CONNECTING THE AIRFRAME P3 D-SUB CONNECTOR. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT ANOTHER EC135 (S/N: 0351) UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE AT OUR FACILITY WITH THE SAME EHSI INSTALLATION HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE LOCKING TEETH RETAINER ON THE UNIT. IT WAS THEN SUSPECTED THAT THIS MAY BE A MANUFACTURER'S ISSUE. THE AIRFRAME P3 CONNECTORS WERE CONFIRMED TO BE THE CORRECT P/N (RD50M10JVLX) PER HONEYWELL KI-825 INSTALL MANUAL TECH PUB IM 006-10715-0000 SECTION 2.3.2 FIGURE 2-2 AND SECTION 2.3.3 TABLE 2-1A. IT WAS ALSO CONFIRMED PER POSITRONIC DATA SHEET DOC# M1016 REV B1 THAT THE INCORRECT LOCKING TEETH RETAINER P/N (D9/370000V30) WAS INSTALLED, INSTEAD OF THE CORRECT P/N (D500000V30). AFTER COMMUNICATION AND INVESTIGATION WITH THE ONTIC, THE CURRENT LICENSE HOLDER FOR THE KI-825, IT WAS FOUND THAT ONTIC HAD INSTALLED LOCKING TEETH RETAINERS ON THE KI-825 UNITS FOR A 37-PIN CONNECTOR, RATHER THAN THE 50-PIN CONNECTOR THAT IS USED IN THE KI-825 INSTALL AND THAT ONTIC'S ENTIRE STOCK OF KI-825S HAD THE SAME INCORRECT LOCKING TEETH RETAINERS INSTALLED. THE INCORRECT P/N RETAINER WAS REMOVED & REPLACED WITH THE CORRECT P/N RETAINER IAW AC43.13-1B, AND NO ISSUES WITH THE LOCKING FEATURE WERE NOTED. THE LOCAL FSDO PAI/PMI WAS CONTACTED REGARDING THIS MATTER, AND THEY WERE SATISFIED WITH THE CORRECTIVE ACTION.
DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED TO THE CABIN FLOOR UPPER SKIN PANEL IN THE FORM OF MULTIPLE DENTS. THE DENTS WERE FILLED WITH AN EA9309.3NA RESIN/MICRO BALLOON MIXTURE AND .025â 2024-T3 REPAIR DOUBLERS WERE FABRICATED AND INSTALLED OVER TOP OF THE REPAIR AREA. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE APPROVED REPAIR PROCEDURE IS PROVIDED IN AIRBUS HELICOPTERS REPAIR INSTRUCTION FOR EC135 FLOOR PANELS B531M0501E02 ISSUE C DATED 29.07.2019. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, REFERENCE AIR METHODS (UNITED ROTORCRAFT) WORK ORDER MG750.
DENT DAMAGE MEASURING 13.5â LONG AND 2.5â WIDE WITH A MAXIMUM DEPTH OF 0.065â WAS DISCOVERED ON THE L/H SIDE OF THE COCKPIT FLOOR SKIN NEAR F.S 2,675MM APPROXIMATELY 0.5â FROM THE EDGE OF THE CENTER CONSOLE. THE DAMAGED AREA WAS POTTED WITH EA9309.3NA ADHESIVE AND A .025â 2024-T3 REPAIR DOUBLER WAS FABRICATED AND INSTALLED OVER TOP OF THE REPAIR AREA. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DAMAGE AND AN APPROVED REPAIR PROCEDURE IS PROVIDED IN AIR METHODS ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION 23-5321-EA-5441 REV â . FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFERENCE AIR METHODS (UNITED ROTORCRAFT) WORK ORDER MG750.
CORROSION DAMAGE OF 0.016â- 0.020â IN DEPTH WAS DISCOVERED ON THE LOWER R/H BROOM CLOSET ATTACHMENT ANGLE (L533M1052317). REPLACEMENT ANGLE BRACKETS WERE NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN THE SCHEDULED RETURN TO SERVICE DATE. THEREFORE, A REPLACEMENT ANGLE WAS FABRICATED USING 0.050â 2024-T3511 EXTRUSION AND INSTALLED IN ITS PLACE. A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DAMAGE AND AN APPROVED FABRICATION PROCEDURE IS PROVIDED IN AIR METHODS ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION 23-5300-EA-5439; INITIAL REVISION DATED 27 JAN 2026 AND IS SUBSTANTIATED BY FAA FORM 8110-3 BY RYAN D. LEE, DER-Y # 905240204, DATED 29 JAN 2026, DER SPECIFIC SEQUENCE # 26RL004AM. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REFERENCE AIR METHODS (UNITED ROTORCRAFT) CRS # 2A6R933B WORK ORDER MG750.
DURING 1000 HOUR INSPECTION, FOUND TAILBOOM CHAFE MARK ON BOTTOM CENTER SURFACE ROUGHLY 3FT AFT OF FWD RING FRAME THAT APPEARS TO BE THRU MULTIPLE PLIES. PERFORMED REPAIR ON TAILBOOM CHAFE DAMAGE ON BOTTOM CENTER SURFACE AFT OF FWD RING FRAME USING ECS0031-12 CARBON FIBER, 7781 FIBERGLASS & 3CU7-100A COPPER MESH IAW AIRBUS RDAS-EC135-53-2022-2032 ISSUE A DATED 2022-08-05. SEE FAA FORM 337 DATED 09/01/2022.
DURING 1000 HOUR INSPECTION, CRACK DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED ON THE RH FRAME 5 AT THE SIDE WALL ATTACHMENT AT THE UPPER MOUNT LOCATION FOR THE AFT MEDICAL WALL AT APPROXIMATELY FUSELAGE STATION 4,709MM WATER LINE 2,375MM. THE CRACK IS APPROXIMATELY 0.75â IN LENGTH. THE CRACK WAS STOP DRILLED AND REINFORCING REPAIR DOUBLERS INSTALLED PER THE APPROVED REPAIR PROCEDURES ARE PROVIDED IN AIRBUS REPAIR DESIGN APPROVAL SHEET AHI 135 53 048 19, ISSUE B DATED 20 NOV 2019
ON 7 FEB 20 AT 1957 HOURS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON THE DOLLY, PILOT HEARD LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY VIBRATIONS IN THE AIRFRAME, NOT IN THE FLIGHT CONTROL, AND SEVERE GRINDING NOISES. I LOOKED IN AT THE CAD TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND NOTICED FLAMES OUT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO ENGINE FIRE LIGHT. MASTER CAUTION WAS ILLUMINATED WITH ENGINE CHIPS. I MOVED THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT AND FORWARD OF THE DOLLY AND LANDED. WHILE COMPLETING EMERGENCY ENGINES SHUT DOWN I ATTEMPTED TO LIFT THE GUARD TO PRESS THE ENGINE FIRE TO ACTIVATE THE EMERGENCY SHUT OFF VALVE. I WAS UNABLE TO ACCESS THE BUTTON DUE TO WIRE NOT BREAKING.
THE CABIN FLOOR HAS MULTIPLE AREAS OF DAMAGE/CRUSHED HONEYCOMB. REMOVED UPPER SKIN FROM DAMAGED AREAS. POTTED THE EXPOSED CORE AREA TO ACHIEVE A FLAT AND SMOOTH SURFACE, TO EVEN WITH THE EXISTING SKIN. FABRICATED A DOUBLER USING 0.032" THICK 2024-T3 ALUMINUM ALLOY. DEBURRED, CLEANED, ALODINED AND PRIMED ALL BARE ALUMINUM. APPLIED EA9309.3NA ADHESIVE TO THE FAYING SURFACES OF THE FLOOR AND DOUBLER. CURED IAW MFG INSTRUCTIONS.
FUSELAGE SKIN HAS VARIOUS AREAS OF CORROSION AT THE GROUND PLUG. COMPLETED REPAIR BY FRABICATING A FILLER USING 0.020" THICK 2024-T3 ALUMINUM ALLOY. FABRICATED A DOUBLER USING 0.025" THICK 2024-T3 ALUMINUM ALLOY. POSITIONED DOUBLER AND MATCHED DRILLED EXISTING FASTENER HOLES, PILOT DRILLED FOR ADDED FASTENERS. REMOVED DOUBLER AND DEBURRED, CLEANED, ALODINED AND EPOXY PRIMED ALL BARE ALUMINUM. COATED FAYING SURFACES OF DOUBLER AND ACFT WITH SEALANT AND INSTALLED USING MS20470AD4 FASTENERS IN ALL EXISTING AND NEW LOCATIONS. INSTALLED FASTENERS WET WITH SEALANT. REF FAA FORM 337 DATED 09/07/2012.
THE TAIL BOOM JUNCTION RING FRAME X9227 WAS FOUND TO BE CORRODED. THE TAIL BOOM ASSY WAS REMOVED AND SHIPPED TO ACFT MFG. REPLACED RING FRAME WITH A NEW RING FRAME X9227.
CLOCK WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN STOPS, WORKS THEN STOPS. REPLACED WITH SERVICABLE UNIT, 04/19/2004.
INDICATOR IS RATCHETY AND STICKY. REPLACED WITH SERVICABLE UNIT. 03/11/2004
MAIN ROTOR GEARBOX MOUNT COLLAPSED. REPLACED WITH SERVICEABLE UNIT. 01/15/2004
CHIP DETECTOR STAKE IN PLUG LET GO ALLOWING CONNECTOR END TO ROTATE. ERIC SAID TO SCRAP ON SITE. FAX SCRAP CERT. AND MMIR TO HIM. THIS WAS DONE 12/10/03.
INSTRUMENT LIGHTS INTERMITTENT, FLASH ON AND OFF ONCE EVERY 1 OR 2 FLIGHTS. REPLACE SERVICEABLE UNIT. 12/18/2003
N2 NEEDLE INOPERATIVE. REPLACED WITH CANNED UNIT FROM AN AIRCRAFT.