N145SM
Registered owner: BANK OF UTAH TRUSTEE, UT (owner ≠ operator)
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
| Operator | Role | Period | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAYO CLINIC (15MA) | Certificate holder | — | Matched by certificate designator |
| OMNIFLIGHT HELICOPTERS INC | Operator | on 2011-01-01 | Operator named in NTSB report |
Accident & incident history
Operated by Omniflight Helicopters, Inc. (per NTSB report)
Maintenance disclosures
Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA for this airframe. Filing is largely voluntary — the number of reports is not a measure of reliability. To verify a report, search its control number at the FAA SDRS site.
4 reports on file, 2013-10-10 – 2026-04-08.
Part: DRAIN LINE — BLOCKED (ENGINE) · airframe 9,896 hrs · 25,618 cycles
DURING FLIGHT CABIN AND COCKPIT HAD EXCESSIVE GAS FUMES. PILOT REPORTED FAILED FIRST START ATTEMPT. SECOND START WAS SUCCESSFUL PRIOR TO DEPARTING FOR SCHEDULED FLIGHT. UPON RETURN NOTED PRESENCE OF RESIDUAL FUEL ON AFT ENGINE COWLING, CLAMSHELL DOOR, AND R/H AIRFRAME BODY. INSPECTED DRAIN PIPE OF THE DRAIN TANK FOR OBSTRUCTIONS AND NOTED MINOR OBSTRUCTION. CLEARED OBSTRUCTION AND RECONNECTED. INSPECTED AIRFRAME EQUIPMENT PLATES FOR LEAKAGE. NO LEAKS NOTED. INSPECTED ENGINE FUEL AND FUEL DRAIN COMPONENTS FOR LEAKAGE. NO LEAKS NOTED. CLEANED RESIDUAL FUEL FROM AIRFRAME AND AIRFRAME DRAINS. PERFROMED GROUND RUN WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED AT THIS TIME.
Part: SPRING — WORN (THROTTLE) · airframe 9,237 hrs · 23,939 cycles
AFTER LEVELING OUT FROM TAKE-OFF FROM KSAT TO HOUSTON THE LOW RPM WARNING LIGHT WITH AUDIO STARTED GOING OFF. I VERIFIED THE WARNING BY OBSERVING ROTOR RPMS BELOW 95% ON THE TRIPLE TACH. I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED POWER RESULTING IN LITTLE EFFECT ON THE RPMS. I CONTACTED KSAT TOWER TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. BEING IN A NEW AIRCRAFT AT AN UNFAMILIAR AIRPORT I DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO BE ABLE TO MANEUVER SAFELY AS NEEDED. ONCE AT A HOVER RPM'S STABILIZED IN THE APPROPRIATE RANGE WITH NO INDICATION OF FAILURE AND I RETURNED TO THE SKY CARE HANGAR
Part: UNKNOWN — SMOKE (CABIN) · airframe 6,669 hrs · 17,587 cycles
IN FLIGHT, AFT CABIN CREW DETAILED A BURNING SMELL FOLLOWED BY SMOKE (DESCRIBED AS A HAZE) DEVELOPING IN THE AFT CABIN. CREW MEMBER STATES LOOKED LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THE WHISPING SMOKE MAY HAVE COME FROM THE RT SIDE OXYGEN PANEL. A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WAS PERFORMED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINTENANCE WAS NOTIFIED AND PERFORMED A THOUROUGH INSPECTION OF THE RT MED WALL WITH NO INDIATIONS FOUND OF A BURNING AREA. THE ENTIRE AFT CABIN INTERIOR WAS REMOVED AND ALL WIRING WAS INSPECTED FOR BURNING. THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES FOUND AND AFTER 1.5 HOURS OF GROUND RUNS THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
Part: VALVE — FAILED (LT ENG FUEL) · airframe 2,368 hrs · 6,203 cycles
FOUND FUEL PRESSURIZING VALVE ON NR 2 ENGINE INOPERATIVE, ALLOWING TOO MUCH FUEL TO ENTER ENGINE AT START. RAW FUEL WAS BEING PUSHED THROUGH THE ENGINE ON START AND FLOWING INTO THE COWLINGS OF ACFT. IN FLIGHT THE TRAPPED FUEL WAS SEEPING OUT OF THE COWLINGS AND RUNNING DOWN THE REAR DOORS AND CAUSING A FUEL ODOR AND THE SIGHT OF FUEL ON THE AIRFRAME. FLIGHT WAS CANCELED ACFT RETURNED TO BASE.