N93LF
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
DURING 1000 HOUR AIRFRAME INSPECTION FOUND THE L/H KEEL BEAM TOP EXTRUSION EXFOLIATED AT THE END OF THE BEAM AT F.S. 5700MM, LBL 500MM
DURING A 1000 HOUR AIRFRAME INSPECTION FOUND FRAME 5 CRACKED IN 3 PLACES, 1 ON THE L/H FWD LOWER, 1 ON THE R/H FWD LOWER AND 1 ON THE R/H AFT LOWER SIDES OF THE METRO AVIATION BOX BEAM. THE CRACKS MEASURE .50 AT FUSELAGE STATION 4,759 MM, WATER LINE 2,300 MM
FIRST OFF, THIS AIRCRAFT IS NOT MINE AND WAS EN ROUTE ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO ANOTHER BASE FOR USE DURING OTHER MAINTENANCE. IT HAD SIMPLY SHOWED UP UNANNOUNCED TO MY AIRPORT IN KINGMAN, AZ. PILOT HAD ENCOUNTERED NR 2 ENGINE OIL PRESSURE RISING DURING FLIGHT. UPON APPROACH, THE OIL PRESSURE CONTINUED TO RISE WITH NO TEMPERATURE CHANGES ACCOMPANYING THE ISSUE. SAFELY LANDED AND CONTACTED MAINTENANCE. I INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE AND CLEANED CONNECTORS FOR SENSORS ON ENGINE NR 2. THE PILOT HAD GROUND RAN THE AIRCRAFT AND PULLED COLECTIVE LIGHTLY TO TRY TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UPON SHUTDOWN OF ENGINE NR 1, THE OIL PRESSURE OF ENGINE NR 2 WAS ERRATIC, THE PRESSURE HAD BOUNCED ALL OVER THE PLACE VERY QUICKLY, FROM 0 TO THE TOP OF THE SCALE. ALL THIS WITH NO OIL TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS OR OTHER WARNINGS. THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS A SIMPLE ISSUE OF OIL PRESSURE INDICATION. I ORDERED THE OIL TEMPERATURE/PRESSURE SENSOR FOR ENGINE NR 2 AOG. I HAD FINALLY RECEIVED THE PART AND INSTALLED IT ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 23RD. WE NOW DO NOT HAVE A QUALIFIED PILOT TO TO RUN THIS AIRCRAFT. IT IS MONDAY, JANUARY 25TH AND I AM STILL AWAITING A QUALIFIED PILOT TO RUN THIS AIRCRAFT AND VERIFY THE PROBLEM HAS GONE BEFORE IT CAN CONTINUE ITS PATH TO ANOTHER BASE. DIFFICULTY: NO PILOT.
PILOT CALLED MAINTENANCE ABOUT 2100 11/06/2020. INFORMED MAINTENANCE THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLAMES FROM NR 2 ENGINE EXHAUSTS DURING SECOND ATTEMPT TO START. MAINTENANCE ARRIVED ABOUT 2200 11/06/2020 TALKED WITH PILOT. THE PILOT INFORMED MAINTENANCE THAT THE NR 2 ENGINE FAILED TO START ON FIRST ATTEMPT THE PILOT THEN VENTED THE NR 2 ENGINE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND ATTEMPTED A SECOND RESTART AT WHICH POINT FLAMES WERE NOTICED COMING FROM THE EXHAUST OF THE NR 2 ENGINE. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE NR 2 ENGINE AND THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED AT WHICH POINT HE NOTICED FUEL ON THE GROUND AROUND NR 2 ENGINE EXHAUST. MAINTENANCE PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT NOTICE ANY DEFECTS. ASKED PILOT TO TURN ON PRIME PUMP AND PERFORMED A LEAK CHECK WITH PUMPS ON. NO LEAKS WERE FOUND. MAINTENANCE THEN ASKED THE PILOT TO START NR 2 ENGINE WHILE MAINTENANCE WATCHED OUTSIDE OF AIRCRAFT FOR ANY FAILURE. NR 2 ENGINE STARTED WITH NO ISSUE. MAINTENANCE INFORMED PILOT TO LET IT RUN A FEW MINUTES TO VERIFY NO ISSUE. NR 2 ENGINE RAN FOR FEW MINUTE WITH NO ISSUE. PILOT PERFORMED ENGINE SHUTDOWN, NO FURTHER DEFECTS OR LEAKS WERE FOUND MAINTENANCE SIGNED OFF WRITE UP AND RETURNED AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE. AIRCRAFT HAS FLOWN 5 HOURS SINCE WITH NO REPORTED ISSUES OR SIGNS OF LEAKS.
DURING DISASSEMBLY OF MODULE 2 P/N 70EM027070 S/N 01135 FOUND THE OMEGA SEAL P/N 9560160210 PROTRUDING INTO THE NOZZLE GUIDE VANE P/N 031941240 S/N 0839 AND THE REAR BEARING SUPPORT P/N 0319250420. THE OMEGA SEAL CAUSED THE NOZZLE GUIDE VANE TO TILT INTO THE POWER TURBINE DISC AND GOUGE THE DISC.
SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED LEFT & RIGHT ROLLS AT 15-20 DEGREES. HAD NO CAUTION OR SAS LIGHT INDICATIONS. RETURNED IMMEDIATELY TO BASE AND NOTIFIED MAINTENANCE. INSPECTED, CLEANED, AND APPLIED STABILANT 22 TO BOTH ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS ON PRSAS PITCH AND ROLL GYROS. PERFORMED AN OPERATIONAL CHECK OF SYSTEM ON GROUND AND IN FLIGHT NO DEFECTS NOTED. ALL WORK IAW MM 22-12-00, 1-1.
PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING SHUTDOWN, HE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE VENTS ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND NOTIFIED MAINTENANCE. INSPECTED WIRING IN BEHIND INSTRUMENT PANEL, NO DEFECTS NOTED. POWERED UP AVIONICS BUSS 1 AND 2, SAW SMOKE RISE FROM PILOT SIDE INSTRUMENT COOLING VENTS SHUT DOWN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND FOUND EHSI NEVER POWERED ON AND REMOVED AND INSPECTED EHSI AND FOUND IT TO BE HOT AND STILL SMOKING INTERNALLY. DEACTIVATED EHSI SYSTEM AND POWERED UP AVIONICS BUSS 1 AND 2 AND NO BURNING OR SMOKE.
THE PILOT FOUND A 6 INCH FISHER CRACK, 5' FROM BLADE ROOT ON THE TOP SIDE OF MR BLADE, DURING AN AIRWORTHINESS CHECK. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THERE WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE SOME DELAMINATION AROUND THE CRACK & FURTHER OUT ABOUT 8' ON TOP OF THE BLADE. THIS ACFT REMAINS OUT OF SERVICE AT THE TIME OF THIS SUBMISSION AWAITING TRACK & BALANCE, FOLLOWING A REPLACEMENT OF THIS MAIN ROTOR BLADE.
UPON ACFT RETURN FROM REVENUE FLIGHT & DURING PM SHIFT CHANGE PILOT FOUND 2 INCH, 45 DGREE ANGLE CRACK ON UPPER AFT PROFILE AREA 6 INCHES OUT FROM ROOT END & 2' FWD OF TE OF THE GREEN MAIN ROTOR BLADE. REPLACED THIS MRB & RETURNED THE ACFT TO SERVICE.
WHILE PERFORMING A BORESCOPE INSPECTION AND ROTATING THE ENGINE, A NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE N1 SECTION OF THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. REMOVED THE ENGINE AND DISASSEMBLED MODULE 1 FROM MODULE 2 AND AWAITED MFG SUPPORT TO COME AND DISASSEMBLE MODULE 2. UPON DISASSEMBLY OF MODULE 2 FOUND THE HP TURBINE DISC HAD 3 BLADES SHIFT AND WERE RUBBING INTO THE HP NOZZLE GUIDE VANE. MFG SUPPORT IS GOING TO REPLACE THE HP TURBINE WHEEL AND NOZZLE GUIDE VANE.
AIRCRAFT SUB FLOOR HAS MULTIPLE DENTS AND CRUSHED HONEYCOMB CORE. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS ALTERED WITH THE EMS KIT NUMBER 135M-100. THE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE IS SUSPECTED DUE TO THE INSTALLED MEDICAL FLOOR PALATE P/N EC135M-2000-1 IS INADEQUATE TO SUPPORT THE STRETCHER ASSEMBLY WHEN LOADED WITH A PATIENT AND THE FRONT WHEELS OF THE STRETCHER ARE CRUSHING THE FLOOR. AWAITING A REPAIR FROM MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING.
INTERUPTION TO FLIGHT SUMMARY, 11/13/2001. ON A FLIGHT, THE LOW LEVEL FUEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PRECAUTIONARY LANDING MADE AT THAT TIME. UPON INSPECTION BOTH FUEL PUMPS IN MAIN FUEL TANK FOUND INOPERATIVE. REPLACED FUEL PUMPS WITH 0.0 TSO UNITS, LEAK AND OPERATIONAL CHECKS REVEALED NO ABNORMALITIES.
AIRCRAFT WAS ON WAY BACK FROM BURLEY IDAHO TO BRMS, WHEN RECEIVING A CAUTIONARY CHIP LIGHT FOR THE NR 1 ENGINE. THE CHIP WAS BURNED OFF USING THE FUZZ BUSTER. SHORTLY THERE AFTER THE NR 1 CHIP LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THE AIRCRAFT MAD A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT THE POCATELLO AIRPORT. WHEN INSPECTING THE INCIDENT THE ENGINE WAS DETERMINED TO BE UNSERVICEABLE AND THE ENGINE REPLACED. THE ENGINE WAS SENT TO AN OVERHAUL FACILITY. (M)
ON 5/25/01 ENROUTE, NR 2 ENGINE GOT A CHIP LIGHT. THE FLIGHT MANUAL CALLS OUT TO LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. THE PILOT DECIDED AFTER REFERENCING THE FLIGHT MANUAL, THAT THE AIRCRAFT COULD SAFELY FLY ON ONE ENGINE. THE NR 2 ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO AIRPORT. INSPECTED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE IAW MM.
FLYING FROM POCATELLO TO TWIN FALLS, PILOT ENCOUNTERED ABNORMAL TORQUE CHANGES IN NR 1 ENGINE. IT HAPPENED TWICE. PILOT NOTED LOW OIL PRESSURE, THEN NO OIL PRESSURE. THE NR 1 ENGINE IS SHUT DOWN IN-FLIGHT AND A LANDING WAS MADE AT BURLEY AIRPORT. NO EXTERNAL OIL LEAKS FOUND. OIL LEVEL ALMOST AT MAXIMUM AT THE DAILY INSPECTION. SUBMITTER SUGGESTED PROBLEM INTERAL TURBINE OR GEARBOX SEAL.
INSP FND CRACK STARTED IN FRAME 11L LOWER LT MOUNTING BRACKET FOR STOBE POWER PACK. CRACK PROPAGATED TO LEFT & INTO OUTER SKIN OF TAILBOOM 2.50 INCHES FWD OF FRAME 11L. SUBMITTER STATED MTNG BKT WHERE CRACK STARTED STRESSED FRAME IN AREA OF POWER PACK MNT. MIDDLE OF FRAME HAS LARGE LIGHTNING HOLE THAT ELONGATES WITH CHANGING OF ANTI-TORQUE FORCES. MNT BKT ACROSS MIDDLE OF THAT HOLE PLACES UNDUE STRESS IN AREA OF MNTING BOLTS. SUBMITTER STATED FRAME 11L SHD BE INSP EVERY 25 HRS FOR CRACKS ADJ TO STROBE POWER PACK MNT BOLTS. TAILBOOM SKIN IN THIS AREA SHD BE INSP DAILY. SUBMITTER STATED OTHER BO105CBS ACFT DID NOT HAVE POWER SUPPLY MNT'D IN THIS AREA. SUBMITTER STATES THIS IS A BO105LS ARRANGEMENT ONLY.