N145SU
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 Corp. (QMLA) | Certificate holder | — | Matched by certificate designator |
Accident & incident history
No NTSB accidents or incidents on file for this aircraft.
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.
9 reports on file, 2007-07-19 – 2023-11-19.
Part: UNKNOWN — UNKNOWN (UNKNOWN) · airframe 8,818 hrs · 28,597 cycles
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE T/R CHIP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THIS AIRCRAFT HAS NO FUZZ BURNER FOR THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOXES. NOR IS THERE DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE IGB AND THE TGB. THERE WERE NO OTHER INDICATIONS SUCH AS VIBRATION, OR LOSS OF CONTROLLABILITY. I DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT KSNS THAT WAS ABOUT 6 MINUTES AWAY. I CALLED OUR COMMUNICATIONS CENTER AND TOLD THEM OF OUR EMERGENCY STATUS, OUR NEW DESTINATION, AND THE NEED FOR AN AMBULANCE TO MEET US AFTER LANDING FOR OUR PATIENT BEING FLOWN. I CALLED THE TOWER AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND MADE A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING, FOLLOWED BY A NORMAL SHUT-DOWN.
Part: GEARBOX — MAKING METAL (TAIL ROTOR) · airframe 6,255 hrs · 19,534 cycles
TAIL ROTOR CHIP CAUTION IN HOVER PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. FOUND METAL ON CHIP DETECTOR. REPLACED IGB.
Part: FRAME — CRACKED (TAILBOOM) · airframe 4,796 hrs · 14,509 cycles
DURING INSPECTION OF TAIL BOOM FOUND CRACKS ON UPPER & LOWER FRAME 9LA & 7L. UPPER FRAME 9LA IS CRACKED AT RBL 200 & WL 3000, CRACK IS APPROX .25 INCHES. LOWER FRAME 9LA IS CRACKED AT RBL 200, LBL 200 & WL 3000, BOTH CRACKS ARE APPROX .5 INCHES. FRAME 7L IS CRACKED AT RBL 200 & WL 3000, CRACK IS APPROX 1.5 INCHES. FRAME PN'S 117-30254.14, B5335M2005101, B535M2047201.
Part: FRAME — CRACKED (TAILBOOM) · airframe 4,219 hrs · 12,581 cycles
DURING INSPECTION, FOUND .7 INCH CRACK IN LT FRAME FOR COWLING ATTACHMENT ON VERTICAL FIN.
Part: STRUCTURE — CRACKED (TAILBOOM) · airframe 4,051 hrs · 11,947 cycles
A 1.25" CRACK WAS FOUND ON LOWER SURFACE OF THE LT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER T/E.
Part: FRAME — CRACKED (TAILBOOM) · airframe 3,992 hrs · 11,746 cycles
FOUND CRACK IN FRAME. CRACK IS RUNS IN A LINEAR DIRECTION. THE CRACK IS NOT PROPAGATING INTO THE LOAD BEARING PART OF THE FRAME. CRACKED TWICE BEFORE.
Part: FRAME — CRACKED (TAIL BOOM) · airframe 3,658 hrs · 10,666 cycles
DURING PREFLIGHT, FOUND A CRACK APPROX ONE INCH LONG IN THE LT FRAME OF THE TAIL FIN NEAR THE CAMLOCK FASTENER RECEPTACLE BELOW THE SERVO MOUNT.
Part: SPAR — CRACKED (TAILBOOM) · airframe 2,422 hrs · 6,710 cycles
FOUND CRACK IN FWD FIN SPAR LEG APPX .3125" LONG AT RT AFT CAMLOCK RECEPTACLE FOR TAILROTOR DRIVESHAFT TRANSITION COVER. CRACK EXTENDS FROM AFT EDGE OF HOLE & RELIEVED ITSELF AT THE EDGE OF PANEL.
Part: FUEL TANK — LEAKING · airframe 123 hrs · 216 cycles
HAD 3 OCCURRENCES OF FUEL ODOR IN CABIN. 5 MIN AFTER DEPARTURE, THERE WAS A STRONG FUEL ODOR IN CABIN. ODOR WOULD DISSIPATE AND THEN RETURN. UPON THE THIRD RECURRENCE, PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED FOR FUEL LEAKS AND NONE FOUND. FUEL ODOR HAD GONE. AIRCRAFT THEN FLOWN BACK TO BASE. ON RETURN FLIGHT, FUEL ODOR CAME AND WENT THREE TIMES. AIRCRAFT LANDED BACK AT BASE AND WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE. MECHANIC FOUND SMALL LEAK AT EXPANSION TANK AND ORDERED NEW TANK.