N145LF
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
UPON TAKEOFF FROM HOSPITAL PAD #1 ENG CHIP ILLUMINATED ON CAD. #1 ENGINE OIL PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE INDICATED NORMAL. DEPRESSED FUZZ BURN SWITCH, #1 ENG CHIP CAD LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. CONTINUED FLIGHT FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE TO TWO MINUTES AND LANDED AT BASE. SHUT DOWN #1 ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. ENGINE SHUTDOWN; LOUD METAL ON METAL GRINDING SOUND HEARD. AMT MAINTENANCE INSPECTION REVEALED LARGE AMOUNTS OF CHIPS IN ALL CHIP DETECTORS. MO5 HAVING THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MATERIAL. REMOVAL AND INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE OIL FILTER RENDERED SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER METAL MATERIAL IN GREAT ABUNDANCE. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE FOR THIS AIRCRAFT SERIAL 9072 N145LF OF A RELATED MO5 FAILURE IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS. THE PREVIOUS NUMBER #2 ENGINE MO5 MALFUNCTION RESULTED IN THE PILOT SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE AND PERFORMING A SINGLE ENGINE LANDING. THIS OCCURRENCE, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE #1, ENGINE THE ENGINE SHAFT WAS ROTATED BY THE AMT BY HAND, WITH SEVERE GRINDING SOUNDS FOR ABOUT ¼ TURN AND THEN UNABLE TO ROTATE BY HAND. THE MO5 FAILURE IS A KNOWN CAUSAL FACTOR IN PREVIOUS FATAL ACCIDENT(S).
DURING THE A 0306 - ZONE 6 AIRFRAME INSPECTION A MISSING RIVET HEAD WAS LOCATED AT THE TRANSITION FROM THE TAILBOOM TO VERTICAL STRUCTURE THRU THE R/H OMEGA STRINGER (P/N 105-30251.26) AT FRAME 10L. AIRBUS MAINTENANCE MANUAL 53-50-00 6-1 (1)(2) AND FIGURE 2 REFERENCES THE REPAIR AREA AND SPECIAL RIVETS. GUIDANCE FROM AIR METHODS CORP SERVICE ENGINEERING WAS TO DRILL OUT AND REPLACE THE RIVET IAW THE AIRBUS STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL. DURING ATTEMPTED REMOVAL OF THE SPECIAL RIVET, IT WAS MISDRILLED THRU THE OMEGA STRINGER, SKIN COUNTOUR ANGLE, RH TAIL BOOM SKIN, COVER SHEET, AND R/H WEDGE. AIRBUS ENGINEERING ISSUED RDAS-BK117-53-2023-0275B FOR REPAIR OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED PARTS (AS A D-LEVEL REPAIR OR BY AHI TECHICIANS). AS OF 3/22/2023, AIRBUS STRUCTURES TECHNICIANS ARE ON SITE PERFORMING THE REPAIR.
DURING ATTEMPTED ENGINE START, PILOT OBSERVED THE NR 2 ENGINE N1 FAILURE TO INCREASE, AND SUBSEQUEENT FAILURE OF ENGINE TO START. AFTER ABORTING ENGINE START PILOT INSPECTED ENGINE AREA AND FOUND SEVERE ARCING ON POST 'C' OF STARTER GENERATOR. ARCING CAUSED TERMINAL LUG TO MELT AND BREAK. STARTER HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM #1 ENGINE DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE TO START ON A PREVIOUS EVENT AND SENT OUT FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR. RECEIVED STARTER BACK FROM VENDOR AND INSTALLED IN #2 POSITION DUE TO 1000HR TBO OF STARTER ALREADY INSTALLED. MAINTENANCE INSPECTED STARTER AND FOUND ALL HARDWARE TO BE CONNECTED PROPERLY. DAMAGED STARTER WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH FRESHLY OVERHAULED UNIT. OPS CHECK AND GROUND RUN PERFORMED WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR BACKLIGHTING AND THE SUPER NIGHT SCANNER SEARCHLIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED IN THE OFF POSITION. THE MECHANIC BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING THIS PILOT REPORTED SQUAWK (FOUND ON THE GROUND). HE PULLED DOWN THE OVERHEAD CIRCUIT BREAKER TO INSPECT THE WIRES AROUND THE BREAKERS AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTING RHEOSTATS, AND FOUND A BURNT WIRE IN THE OVERHEAD PANEL. HE ALSO FOUND THE "STBY HOR BAT" AND "BAT EM EX LT" CIRCUIT BREAKERS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF OVERHEATING(BURN MARKS). HE REMOVED AND REPLACED THE DAMAGED SECTION OF 12 GAUGE WIRE, AND REPLACED THE AFFECTED CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THE SEARCHLIGHT ISSUE TURNED OUT TO BE A BAD SEARCHLIGHT (REPLACED). ALL WORK COMPLETED AND OPS CHECKED GOOD.
DURING A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, THE MECHANIC FOUND A CRACK ON THE LOWER SKIN OF THE LT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE CRACK WAS STOP DRILLED TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY RELIEF UNTIL THE MATERIALS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH THE PERMANENT REPAIR ARRIVED. SRM, CHAPTER 51-70-51, 8-22 REFERENCED FOR REPAIR.
TAIL ROTOR CHIP CAUTION ILLUMINATED ON CAD DURING POWER UP. REMOVED TAIL ROTOR CHIP PLUG & FOUND ONE TINY SLIVER APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF A HAIR & 1 - 2 MM IN LENGTH. CLEANED CHIP PLUG & REINSTALLED. PERFORMED OPERATIONS CHECK & 10 MINUTE GND RUN WITH NO REOCCURRENCE. ACFT RETURNED TO SERVICE.
DURING ROUTINE PRE-FLIGHT AIRWORTHINESS CHECK A CRACK WAS FOUND ON A SKIN DOUBLER LOCATED ON THE LT BASE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AT STATION 9800, WL 3100, BLL 50. THE CRACK RUNS VERTICAL & MEASURES APPROXIMATELY 2.315 INCHES. THE DOUBLER WAS REMOVED & ANOTHER CRACK WAS FOUND ON THE UNDERLYING DOUBLER AT THE SAME LOCATION, RUNNING THE SAME DIRECTION. THE 2ND CRACK MEASURES APPROXIMATELY 1.945 INCHES.
DURING ACFT STARTING PROCEDURE, BATTERY POWER WAS ENERGIZED AND ACFT SYSTEMS WERE PREPARED FOR STARTING FIRST ENGINE. FUMES WERE NOTICED AND WHEN ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED TO VIEW WHERE THE FUMES WERE EMMINATING FROM, SMOKE WAS RISING FROM BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL THROUGH LOUVERS IN THE GLARE SHIELD. BATTERY POWER WAS REMOVED. DOORS WERE OPENED, AND RESULTING SMOKE AND FUMES DISAPPATED.
WHILE ENROUTE, CREWMEMBERS REPORTED SMOKE IN CABIN. SHUT OFF AIR CONDITIONER AND ELECTRICAL GENERATORS, OPENED VENT WINDOWS, AND BEGAN A DESCENT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN, AND APPLIED ROTOR BRAKE. SMOKE HAD AN ELECTRICAL ODOR TO IT, AND WAS COMING OUT OF THE LOX CABINET VENT IN PUFFS OF WHITE SMOKE. SMOKE STOPPED AFTER AIR CONDITIONER TURNED OFF. ACFT WAS INSPECTED AND RAN WITHOUT INCIDENT AND FLOWN TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT. FOUND BLOWER MOTOR SHORTED.
ON DEPARTURE AT 600' AGL, NOTICED SMELL/AROMA OF ELECTRICAL OVERHEATING. NOTIFIED CREW AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A 270 DEGREE TURN TO RETURN TO DEPARTURE. DISCONNECTED BOTH GENERATORS, DISENGAGED BOTH BUS TIES, TURNED OFF AIR CONDITIONING UNIT. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND NOTIFIED ON-CALL MECHANIC. REPLACED AIR CONDITIONER BLOWER.
THIS REPORT IS THE 3RD OCCURRENCE OF SMOKE/ODOR CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE FAULT IN THE OVERHEAD CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL. MECHANICS REPLACED THE APPROPRIATE WIRING AND DUMMY CIRCUIT BREAKER INVOLVED IN THE INITIAL FAULT. AIRCRAFT WAS OPS CHECKED AND THEN RETURNED TO IT'S BASE.
UPON LANDING, STRONG ACRID ODOR IN CABIN AND COCKPIT AREAS. MECHANIC CALLED IN AND UPON INSPECTION OF OVERHEAD CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WIRE HAD CONTACTED METAL FRAME RESULTING IN ARCING. MECHANIC TIGHTENED WIRE LUG AT CIRCUIT BREAKER AND ADDED INSULATION ON FRAME. AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SERVICE.