N911UF
Registered owner: MILTON S HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER, PA (owner ≠ operator)
Operators of this aircraft
Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.
| Operator | Role | Period | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| MED-TRANS CORPORATION (M3XA) | Certificate holder | — | Matched by certificate designator |
| AIR METHODS LLC (QMLA) | Operator | 2009-03-05 – 2009-03-05 | Operator named in NTSB report |
Accident & incident history
Maintenance disclosures
DURING PILOT TRAINING THE NR 1 HYDRAULIC SYSTEM INDICATION ILLUMINATED DURING FLIGHT. THE LOW HYDRAULIC WARNING INDICATION ILLUMINATED AND APROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS LATER THE HYDRAULIC SERVO LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINTENANCE TROUBLESHOT THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AND DISCOVERED THE HYDRAULIC PUMP PRESSURE LINE TO BE CHAFFED AND LEAKING. HYDRAULIC PUMP WILL BE REPLACED DUE TO RUNNING DRY, AS WELL AS, THE PUMP PRESSURE AND RETURN LINES. DURING THE INSPECTION AS TO THE LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RUBBER INSIDE PORTION OF AN ADEL CLAMP HAD DETERIORATED TO THE POINT OF CHAFFING THE PRESSURE LINE AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE.
ON SHORT FINAL, CREW REPORTED A LOUD BANG FROM THE TRANSMISSION DECK, PILOT REPORTED A TRANSMISSION PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON THE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION, REVEALED THE OIL COOLER FAN DRIVE SHAFT HAD SHEARED AND CUT INTO THE OIL COOLER FINS AND OIL PASSAGES. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REMOVED FOR REPAIR.
ACFT DEPARTED FOR REVENUE FLIGHT. MX WAS NOTIFIED BY GROUND CREW OF POSSIBLE FUEL ON THE HELIPAD. NOTIFIED PILOT OF PRESSENCE OF FUEL AND ADVISED HIM TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. UPON MX ARRIVAL AT ACFT, APPLIED POWER TO NR1 FUEL BOOST PUMP AND NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM NR1 FUEL FILTER HOUSING. REMOVED FUEL FILTER HOUSING AND REPLACED FUEL FILTER AND FUEL FILTER O-RING. REAPPLIED POWER TO ACFT, FUNCTIONAL CHECK OF NR1 FUEL BOOST PUMP COMPLETED. POST MX GROUND RUN REVEALED NO LEAKS FROM AREA. ACFT RETURNED TO SERVICE. MANAGEMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
THE PILOT AND MED CREW HAD JUST DEPARTED THEIR BASE HELIPAD. AFTER APPROX 2-3 SECONDS AFTER TRANSITIONING TO FWD FLIGHT, THE CREW SMELLED FUEL IN THE CABIN. THE FLIGHT WAS IMMEDIATELY ABORTED AS THE PILOT RETURNED THE ACFT TO THE HELIPAD. THE MECHANIC BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM WHICH LED HIM TO DRAIN THE FUEL, REMOVE THE CABIN INTERIOR, AND CONDUCT A VISUAL INSP OF THE ACFT FUEL CELLS FOR LEAKS AND OBVIOUS DAMAGE. THE MECHANIC WAS THEN ABLE TO FIND THAT THE FUEL BAFFEL LACING HAD FRAYED, ALLOWING THE FUEL TO SHIFT FORE AND AFT. THIS SUBSEQUENTLY ALLOWED THE FWD FUEL QUANTITY PROBE TO SHIFT FORE AND AFT WEAKENING THE FUEL CELL AT THAT CONNECTION. THIS WEAKENING ALLOWED RAW FUEL VAPORS TO ESCAPE WHEN THE ACFT TRANSITIONED INTO FWD FLIGHT. THE MECHANIC IS IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE MAIN FUEL CELL. ONCE COMPLETE, THE ACFT IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO SERVICE.
THE PILOT AND MEDICAL CREW ONBOARD THE ACFT ALL SMELLED A STRONG FUEL ODOR SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE HANGAR THAT HE JUST DEPARTED TO HAVE MX LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC TROUBLESHOT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT DUPLICATE ON THE GROUND UNDER GROUND POWER AND WITH ENGINES RUNNING. THE PILOT AND MECHANIC THEN DEPARTED THE HELIPORT FOR A 15 MINUTE FLIGHT WHICH DID NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM EITHER. MECHANIC UPON RETURN TO THE HELIPAD PERFORMED ONE MORE POST FLIGHT INSP FOR THE PRESENCE OF FUEL. NONE WAS FOUND. THE ACFT WAS THEN RETURNED TO SERVICE.
ENROUTE TO SCENE CALL THE EMERGECY HYDRAULIC PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ABORTED THE MISSION AND RETURNED TO BASE. THE OPERATION CONTROL CENTER AND MAINTENANCE WAS NOTIFIED. REPLACED HYDRAULIC ACCUMULATOR GROUP P/N 109-0512-70-109 S/N 823 WITH A SERVICEABLE ACCUMULATOR GROUP SAME P/N NEW S/N 523. OPERATIONAL CHECK COMPLIED WITH, NO DEFECTS NOTED. THIA A/C IS FROM OUR GAINSVILLE, FL PROGRAM.
FOUND CRACK ON 1 SIDE OF T/R BLADE AT STA 540.00, CRACK EXTEND FROM DOUBLER BACK 4 INCHES ALONG STA 540. CORDWISE REF FIG. 1 OF AD 2002-25-51 AIRCRAFT WAS POST MOD. (K)
UNIT COULD NOT PASS FUEL CHECK. THIS IS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT OFF OF THE ENGINE, TIMES DO MATCH UP TO OVERHAULS. REPLACED WITH SERVICABLE UNIT. 03/09/2004
ENGINE UNDER CONTRACT. FALSE FIRE WARNINGS OCCUR WHEN IT IS DAMP. THIS IS BEING SENT BACK UNDER A MFG WARRANTY CLAIM. REPLACED WITH SERVICEABLE UNIT. 12/16/03
PITCH HORN HAS PITS IN BOLT HOLES. REPLACED WITH SERVICEABLE UNIT.
HIGH ENERGY GENERATOR PRODUCING INTERMITTENT SPARK. REPLACED WITH SERVICEABLE UNIT.
BUSHING DEBONDED COMPLETELY (RED ARM). REPLACED WITH SERVICEABLE UNIT.
STARTER GEN HAS BRUSHES AND COMMUTATOR WORN. HARD CARD ENCLOSED (2). REPLACED WITH SERVICEABLE UNIT.
BALL JOINT WORN. BEARING CAME OF ON STARFLEX IN THE POSITION OF THIS BALL JOINT. REPLACED WITH SERVICEABLE UNIT.
MAIN ROTOR STARFLEX BEARING CAME OFF. REPLACED WITH SERVICEABLE UNIT.
INITIAL GRND RUN-UP, AFTER MJR INSP, A T/R GBX FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED AFTER APPROX 15-20 MINUTES. AC JERKED SEVERAL TIMES ALONG THE YAW AXIS, WITH NR1 ENG RUNNING AT 68%NG AND NR2 AT 65%NG AN UNUSUAL NOISE WAS HEARD FRM TAIL ROTOR, SHUT DOWN WAS INITIATED, NOISE WORSENED. ROTOR BREAK WAS APPLIED WITHIN 10 REV OF COMING TO COMPLETE STOP FRM COAST DWN WITH ROTOR BREAK APPLIED, LOUD SQUEALING AND GRINDING NOISE WAS EMITTING FROM THE TAIL ROTOR AND COAST DWN CAME TO A RAPID BUT NOT SUDDEN STOP. INITIAL INSP REVEALED METAL PARTICLES ON TAIL ROTOR CHIP PLUG, OIL AND SPREAD FLEX COUPLING AT THE TAIL ROTOR OUTPUT FLNG FROM MAIN GBX. AFTER TR DWN & INSP, OUTER BRG OF INPUT HSG WAS DRY, GBX OIL LEVEL WAS FULL.