N353AM
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 THE PATIENT LEG OF AN INTER-FACILITY TRANSFER, BEGAN TO NOTICE THE STRONG ODOR OF WHAT WAS SUSPECTED TO BE HOT WIRES. INVESTIGATED THE POSSIBLE CAUSES BY SHUTTING DOWN INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT ONE AT A TIME. NONE SEEMED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THEN THE ODOR CHANGED RAPIDLY TO A VERY STRONG BURNING SMELL. BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE DECENT WHILE ANNOUNCING TO THE CREW, GOING TO LAND. DIRECTED THE MEDIC TO ALERT AIRCOM OF THE NEED FOR IMMEDIATE FOLLOW ON TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PATIENT. COMMUNICATED WITH ATC AND FOCUSED ON FINDING A LANDING AREA. HAPPENED TO BE OVER A SMALL TOWN AND I QUICKLY LOCATED A SUITABLE LANDING AREA IN A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD. EXECUTED A DECENT, NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING ON THE FIELD FOLLOWED BY A SHUTDOWN WITH THE DOORS OPEN TO VENTILATE THE CABIN. WHILE ON THE APPROACH, FLEW OVER THE LOCAL FIRE DEPT WHILE THEY WERE RESPONDING TO A CALL. THEY IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED CREWS TO INVESTIGATE. ONCE ON THE LANDING AREA, THEY ASSISTED UNTIL ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ARRIVED TO TRANSPORT THE PATIENT TO THE DESTINATION. CALLED THE MECHANIC AND WAITED WITH THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL ARRIVAL. LATER DISCOVERED THE LANDING LIGHT / SEARCHLIGHT CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE FAULTY.
DURING PREFLIGHT OF ACFT, PILOT OPENED TAIL BOOM BATTERY COMPARTMENT DOOR TO EXAMINE CONTENTS. PILOT NOTICED A SMALL GAP BETWEEN THE TWO HALVES OF THE CLOSE OUT PLATES FWD OF THE BATTERY THAT ARE VELCRO'D TO THE BULKHEAD RING. EXAMINED MORE CLOSELY & NOTICED THAT THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PLATE HAD SLIPPED DOWN INTO THE TAIL BOOM LONGERONS & STRENGTHENERS & HAD CAUSED DAMAGE. MX WAS NOTIFIED & THE FOLLOWING MEASUREMENTS WERE ANNOTATED. THE L SHAPED STRENGTHENER HAS A NOMINAL HEIGHT OF 14.36MM. THE STRENGTHENER IN THE 4 O'CLOCK POSITION HAS A GOUGE OF 3.56 MM. STRENGTHENER IN THE 5 O'CLOCK POSITION HAS A GOUGE OF 4.74 MM. STRENGTHENER IN THE 6 O'CLOCK POSITION HAS A GOUGE OF 4.05 MM. STRENGTHENER IN THE 7 O'CLOCK POSITION HAS A GOUGE OF .65 MM. THE O'CLOCK POSITIONS ARE LOOKING IN THE AFT TO FWD POSITION. IN ADDITION TO THIS DAMAGE, THE RT SIDE OF THE TAIL BOOM INTERIOR HAS AN APPROX 6.88MM X 4.65MM MARK THAT IS .23 MM DEEP INTO THE SKIN WHERE THE LOWER PLATE HAS RUBBED INTO IT.