N913SM
Registered owner: SISTERS OF CHARITY OF LEAVENWORTH HEALTH SYSTEMS, 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
Maintenance disclosures
L/H BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT ON THE 15 DEGREE BULKHEAD. THE DAMAGE AFFECTS ONE OF THE STIFFENERS RADII AND IS LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY STA 2780, WL 1889, AND BL 810L
NEW AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR. POST-MAINTENANCE OPS CHECK WAS GOOD. ON THE RETURN LEG OF THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER COMPRESSOR INSTALLATION, THE CREW STARTED TO DETECTED AN ODOR. TURNED OFF THE A/C AND THE ODOR WENT AWAY. DISCOVERED OVERHAULED AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR CLUTCH THAT WAS INSTALLED THE DAY BEFORE HAD FAILED. A/C COMPRESSOR WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH ANOTHER OVERHAULED COMPRESSOR.
APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT AIR CONDITIONER ON, INITIALLY AT HIGH. APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES LATER, HE NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND WHEN HE ASKED THE CREW IF THEY SMELLED THE SAME THING, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY DID. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE AIR CONDITIONER AND TURNED BACK TO THE BASE. HE LOOKED AT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY CAUTION OR WARNING LIGHTS AND THERE WERE NONE AND THEN OPENED THE VENT AND OPENED THE LEFT WINDOW AND THE RIGHT WINDOW AS WELL. THIS VENTILATED THE COCKPIT IMMEDIATELY AND THE BURNING SMELL DIMINISHED. HE THEN NOTIFIED TOWER AND AIRCOM THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO BASE AND CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR ANY ADVISORY LIGHTS AND LANDED BACK AT THE BASE. HE LANDED AND SHUT DOWN WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES. THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR ASSEMBLY CLUTCH WAS CLEANED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS GROUND RUN AND AN OPERATIONAL TEST FLIGHT WAS DONE FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THE DISCREPANCY COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED SO THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF, CREW SMELLED AN ODOR IN THE AIRCRAFT. SUSPECTED THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM SINCE THE SAME HAD HAPPENED EARLIER IN THE DAY AFTER WHICH THE PROBLEM WAS CLEARED BY MAINTENANCE. TURNED OFF THE SYSTEM AND RETURNED TO BASE. DISCOVERED AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR CLUTCH HAD FAILED. AC COMPRESSOR WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH OVERHAULED COMPRESSOR.
A CRACK EMANATING FROM ONE AIRFRAME BOLT HOLE WHERE THE AFT FUEL CELL SADDLE BOLTS TO THE AIRFRAME WAS DISCOVERED DURING A VISUAL LOOK IN THE LT BAGGAGE AREA. TWO MORE CRACKS WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED IN THE AIRFRAME, ONE CRACK ON THE RT AFT SIDE OF THE SADDLE MOUNT & ONE CRACK ON THE FWD RIGHT SIDE SADDLE MOUNT.