N530H
Registered owner: BAS PART SALES 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) | Operator | 2020-10-26 – 2020-10-26 | Operator named in NTSB report |
Accident & incident history
Maintenance disclosures
PILOT REPORTED A TAIL ROTOR CHIP LIGHT DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. IT FLICKERED AT FIRST, AND AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS CAME ON SOLID. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY DIVERTED TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT. ONCE SAFELY ON THE GROUND, HE CONTACTED MAINTENANCE. THE MECHANIC ARRIVED AND INSPECTED THE CHIP DETECTOR, AND FOUND A FEW METAL SHAVINGS. HE THEN CLEANED THE CHIP DETECTOR, AND FLUSHED THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX TWICE. AFTER DRAINING, THE TRG OIL STILL HAD FERROUS AND NON-FERROUS MATERIAL. NOTIFIED AIRBUS TECH REP AND RMD. ORDERED A TRGB AOG. THIS AIRCRAFT REMAINS OUT OF SERVIC AT THIS TIME, WHILE THE TRGB IS REPLACED.
OVERSIZED HOLE DAMAGE WAS NOTED UNDER THE LT CARGO SLIDING DOOR UPPER GUIDE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY PLUGGED WITH A CHERRY MAX RIVET. THE DAMAGE IS LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY FS 2700, WL 1759, LBL 398.
CHAFING WAS DISCOVERED ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE FORWARD BULKHEAD (AIRBUS PN 350A21-1032.59).
CHAFING WAS DISCOVERED ON THE RH CARGO FLOOR FWD FRAME (PN: 355A21-2122-21). THE CHAFE WAS MEASURED TO BE 0.55" IN LENGTH AND WAS TO BE FOUND TO BE CHAFED THROUGH THE ENTIRE PART THICKNESS OF 0.032".
WEAR WAS REPORTED TO THE RH STA2700 STIFFENER (PN: 350A21-1071.23) IN THE FORM OF WEAR CAUSED BY A NEARBY BOLT HEAD. THE WEAR WAS MEASURED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 7MM (0.276â) IN LENGTH, 1MM (0.040â) WIDE, AND WITH A MAXIMUM DEPTH OF 0.0245â
ON AIRCRAFT 4553 WE FOUND 3 EACH SPOTS OF CORROSION UNDERNEATH THE L/H SIDE CREW DOORS ON THE FLOOR EDGING. STA.970 TO 2700, WL. 2600, BL. LEFT 736.6.
FROM THE PILOTS REPORT: ABOUT 2 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE TO PICK UP A SCENE FLIGHT, THE CREW REPORTED THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT THEY SMELLED A HOT SMELL OR SMOKE. I DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL, HOWEVER, I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED THE PROCEDURE FOR SMOKE IN CABIN AND BEGAN A RETURN TO BASE, WHICH WAS THE NEAREST APPROPRIATE LOCATION TO LAND. AFTER LANDING, I HAD NOT IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE THAT THE CREW SMELLED, SO I COMPLETED A WRITE UP IN THE LOGBOOK AND CONTACTED MAINTENANCE. MAINTENANCE FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND SIGNED AIRCRAFT BACK INTO SERVICE.
AFTER LANDING, DURING NORMAL SHUTDOWN PROCEDURES, THE PILOT REPORTED A BURNED ELECTRICAL ODOR IN COCKPIT, SHORTLY FOLLOWING CREW REPORTED LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CENTER CONSOLE CIRCUIT BREAKER AREA. PILOT PROCEEDED TO SHUTDOWN. MAINTENANCE PROCEEDED TO INSPECT THE AREA, AND FOUND CIRCUIT BREAKER BRACKET ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CENTER CONSOLE TO BE DENTED FROM STRETCHER ALLOWING SCREW TO ARC ON CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE BRACKET WAS REMOVED AND STRAIGHTENED ALLOWING SIGNIFICANT CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE ARCING POINT. OPS AND FUNCTIONAL CHECKED WERE THOROUGHLY PERFORMED WITH NO DEFECTS/MALFUNCTIONS OR REOCCURRING ARCING NOTED.
ON LANDING AND DURING NORMAL SHUTDOWN PROCEDURES, THE PILOT REPORTED A BURNING ELECTRICAL ODOR IN THE COCKPIT AND LIGHT SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF CENTER CONSOLE, CIRCUIT BREAKER AREA. MAINTENANCE INSPECTED THE AREA AND FOUND A CIRCUIT BREAKER BRACKET ON THE LEFT SIDE OF CENTER CONSOLE TO BE DENTED, ALLOWING A SCREW TO ARC ON THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE BRACKET WAS REMOVED AND STRAIGHTENED ALLOWING SIGNIFICANT CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE ARCING POINT. OPS AND CHECKED THOROUGHLY WITH NO DEFECTS, MALFUNCTIONS, OR REOCCURRING ARCING NOTED.
ON THE RETURN LEG, STOPPED FOR FUEL. AFTER REFUELING AND APPROXIMATELY 4 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE GENERATOR CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE CWP. CREW REQUESTED A RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. COMPLETED THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE STEPS IAW THE FLIGHT MANUAL, AND DETERMINED THE GENERATOR WAS INOPERATIVE AND COULD NOT BE RECOVERED. MADE A CTAF CALL AND CONTINUED DIRECT TO THE AIRPORT RAMP. ON LANDING, CONDUCTED AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN.
PILOT & CREW NOTICED ODORLESS SMOKE IN COCKPIT ON DEPARTURE. ACFT ELEC, AVIONICS, AIR CONDITIONING SYS, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT WERE INSPECTED & NO DEFECTS WERE FOUND. PERFORMED OPERATIONAL GND RUN OF ALL SYSTEMS & NO DEFECTS WERE FOUND. PERFORMED OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT OF ALL SYSTEMS & NO DEFECTS WERE FOUND.
DURING FLIGHT, CREW SMELLED A LIGHT ELECTRICAL BURNED ODOR, PILOT TURNED OFF ACFT FAN AND ODOR WENT AWAY, AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING FOUND AFT BLOWER MOTOR INOPERATIVE AND BRUSHES WERE BURNED.
A BURNING ODOR WAS DETECTED IN THE COCKPIT DURING AN AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT 10 MINUTES OUT. CREW MEMBERS CONFIRMED ODOR. ATC CONTACTED AND ADVISED OF THE EVENT AND FLIGHT DIVERTED. MX SEARCHED ACFT FOR EVIDENCE OF BURNING, NOTHING WAS FOUND. PERFORMED A 20 MINUTE GROUND RUN WITH FULL ELECTRICAL LOAD NO DEFECTS NOTED, THEN PERFORMED A 20 MINUTE OPS CHECK FLIGHT WHICH WAS SATISFACTORY. COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND RETURNED ACFT TO SERVICE.