N257AM

SWEARINGEN SA-226 Serious injury Part 135 — Air Methods Corp.

Operated by AIR MIDWEST (per NTSB report)

ATA 2150

Part: BELT — FAILED (A/C PACK) · airframe 6,950 hrs · 12,217 cycles

NIGHT FLIGHT AS PILOT DROPPED OFF PATIENT AT EL PASO UMC HOSPITAL. CREW AND PILOT RETURNED TO BASE IN-FLIGHT, OVER DONA ANA AIRPORT CREW SMELLED SMOKE IN COCKPIT PERFORMED PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT DONA ANA AIRPORT. PILOT OPENED SIDE COWLINGS TO FIND AIR CONDITIONER RUBBER BELT MELTED/BURNED OFF DRIVE SHAFT MGB SECTION WITH RUBBER PIECES FOUND LAYING ON THE MAIN TRANSMISSION DECK. THE NIGHT WAS CLOUDY WITH HIGH HUMIDITY THAT POSSIBLY CAUSED THE A/C COMPRESSOR TO ICE OVER AND MOMENTARILY SEIZE THE COMPRESSOR FROM HYDRAULIC LOCK ALLOWING THE BELT TO BURN OFF OF THE DRIVE SHAFT. MECHANIC CALLED OUT TO ASSESS THE AIRCRAFT REMOVED BURNED BELT, CLEANED UP AREA OF FOD AND RUBBER PIECES. INSPECTED DRIVE SHAFT AND ALL COMPONENTS. NO FURTHER DEFECTS FOUND. AIR CONDITIONING MEL'S IAW AIR METHODS AS350 SERIES ALLOWING THE HELICOPTER TO RETURN BACK TO BASE.

ATA 5320

Part: FRAME — CHAFED (ZONE 200) · airframe 6,410 hrs · 10,991 cycles

DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE RH X-FRAME (PN: 350A21-1051.21) IN THE FORM OF A CHAFE LOCATED AT THE AFT VERTICAL FLANGE OF THE X FRAME. THE CHAFE WAS REPORTED TO BE 0.30” X 0.20” AND 0.05” DEEP.

ATA 5311

Part: FLOOR SUPPORT — CORRODED (ZONE 100) · airframe 6,410 hrs · 10,991 cycles

CORROSION WAS NOTED ON THE LH SIDE OF THE CABIN FLOOR EDGE.

ATA 3150

Part: WARNING BELL — FALSE ACTIVATION · airframe 4,682 hrs · 7,643 cycles

PILOTS REPORT: JUST PRIOR TO LANDING, A WARNING SYSTEM AUDIO “GONG” WENT OFF IN THE PILOTS HEADSET WITH NO ASSOCIATED LIGHT ON CAUTION & WARNING PANEL. WITHIN 4 SECONDS, 2 MORE WARNING AUDIO ALARMS WITH NO ASSOCIATED LIGHT FOLLOWED BY A 5TH AUDIO ALARM WITH AN ENGINE FIRE LIGHT (LIGHT EXTINGUISHED). FINALLY, A 6TH AUDIO ALARM AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ON UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS SAFELY ON THE GROUND AND SHUTDOWN. MECHANICS REPORT: INSPECTED THE 3 ENGINE FIRE DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED WIRE HARNESSES (NO DAMAGE NOTED). REMOVED THE ASU CARDS INSPECTED, CLEANED AND REINSTALLED. OPERATIONAL CHECK GOOD. AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SERVICE.

ATA 2612

Part: FIRE DETECTOR — FALSE ACTIVATION (ENGINE) · airframe 1,793 hrs · 2,929 cycles

5 MILES SOUTH OF AIRPORT, THE ENG FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR 2 - 3 SECONDS. CONTINUED & LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE AREA SOUTH HAD NO SUITABLE LANDING AREAS & THE ENG FIRE REMAINED OFF FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT. NO FURTHER ISSUES WITH THE ACFT WERE NOTED. CHECKED EACH DETECTORS OHMS & WERE FOUND TO BE WITHIN LIMITS. HE CHECKED ALL THE CONNECTIONS AT EACH FIRE DETECTOR, CLEANED ENG DECK CONNECTOR & APPLIED STABILANT 22 TO THE PINS & CONNECTED PLUG. AN OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT WAS COMPLETED, NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED. ACFT FLEW BACK WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DEFECTS.

ATA 2612

Part: WARNING LIGHT — FALSE ACTIVATION · airframe 590 hrs · 1,090 cycles

DURING THE LANDING PHASE OF FLIGHT THE PILOT RECEIVED AN AUDIBLE GONG INDICATION. APPROX 10 SECONDS LATER THE ENGINE FIRE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE CAUTION WARNING PANEL. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT ALL OTHER ENGINE INDICATIONS WERE WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING PARAMATERS. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. ON SHORT FINAL PRIOR TO LANDING, THE ENGINE FIRE WARNING INDICATOR ON THE CAUTION WARNING PANEL EXTINGUISHED. ENGINE FIRE DETECTION AND INDICATING SYS WERE INSPECTED. NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED AT THIS TIME. PERFORMED ENGINE GROUND RUN. ALL ENGINE INDICATIONS WERE WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING PARAMATERS. UNABLE TO DUPLICATE DISCREPANCY. OPS CHECKED. NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED AT THIS TIME. ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.

ATA 7930

Part: WARNING MESSAGE — ILLUMINATED (ENGINE OIL PRESS) · airframe 444 hrs · 868 cycles

TEN MINUTES INTO A FLIGHT, ENGINE OIL PRESSURE ENTERED YELLOW AREA. SLIGHTLY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO RELIEVE PRESSURE. NEEDLE CONTINUED TO CLIMB AND PROCEEDED INTO RED. SHORTLY AFTER REACHING MAXIMUM INDICATION AVAILABLE ON THE GAUGE, GAUGE DISSAPPEARED AND WAS REPLACED BY A YELLOW .7500 CIRCLE AND THE WORD "PRESS" UNDER IT IN YELLOW. AS THE SYSTEM DETECTED THE PRESSURE WAS BACK IN THE MEASURABLE RANGE OF THE GAUGE IT REAPPEARED WITH THE ARROW AT THE HIGH YELLOW AREA AND MOVING TOWARD THE RED. IT AGAIN DISSAPPEARED AND WAS REPLACED BY THE YELLOW SEMI CIRCLE. THIS PROCESS REPEATED A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES PRIOR TO LANDING AND SHUTDOWN, APPROX THREE MINUTES IN DURATION. NEEDLE WAS NOT SNAPPING TO MAXIMUM BUT WAS MAKING A GENERALLY SMOOTH MOVEMENT FROM LOW TO HIGH. INSPECTED ENGINE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR ON VEMD DISPLAY, ENGINE OIL PRESSURE TRANSDUCER, ENGINE OIL BYPASS INDICATORS, ENGINE OIL PRESSURE TRANSDUCER CONNECTOR SOCKET AND PINS. MO1 AND MO5 MAGNETIC PLUGS, ELECTRONIC ENGINE OIL CHIP DETECTOR AND PERFORMED ENGINE GROUND RUN. UNABLE TO DUPLICATE DISCREPANCY AT THIS TIME. PERFORMED OPS CHECK FLIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF CHECKING ENGINE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR OPERATION. ENGINE OIL PRESSURE INDICATION WAS NORMAL AND NO FURTHER DEFECTS WERE NOTED AT THIS TIME. ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.