N986LF
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 FINAL MINUTES OF FLIGHT. ALL FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS SMELLED A SUDDEN, AND STRONG, ONSET OF A STRANGE ODOR. POSSIBLY ELECTRIC OR INSULATION IN NATURE. VISUALLY CHECKED FOR SMOKE, NONE NOTED. VISUALLY CHECKED FOR ABNORMALITES OR INDICATIONS, NONE NOTED. PILOT SHUT OFF THE AIR CONDITIONING. AT THAT POINT ALL CREW CEASED TO DETECT THE ODOR. PILOT FINISHED THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF FLIGHT TO BASE. THE MECHANIC DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. AND TROUBLESHOT THE DISCRPANCY. INSPECTED ALL MAJOR WIRING AND INSTRUMENTS FOR ANY DAMAGE, SIGNS OF HEAT. FOUND NOTHING. VISUALLY INSPECTED THE AVONICS SHELF, CENTER CONSOLE, FORWARD INSTRUMENT CONSOLE, FORWARD AND MID BELLY PANEL ACCESS AREAS, TRANSMISSION DECK, ENGINE DECKS, GENERAL INTERIOR AND BEHIND INTERIOR PANELS OF REAR CABIN. NO DAMAGE NOTED. THE BATTERY WAS CONNECTED AND EXTENAL POWER APPLIED. SYSTEM WAS PLACED UNDER LOAD TO INCLUDE LIGHTS, INSTRUMENTS, AND MEDICAL GEAR. NO ODORS DETECTED. ENGAGED AIR CONDITION FAN, THE ODOR WAS IMMEDIATELY DETECTED. AIR COND AFT BLOWER MOTOR WAS NOTED AS MAKING AN ABNORMAL AND LOAD NOISE, AS WELL AS GETTING HOT TO THE TOUCH IN A SHORT SPAN OF TIME. SYSTEM WAS SHUT DOWN. A NEW AFT BLOWER MOTOR OPS CHECKED GOOD WITH NO ODO DETECTED. NO FURTHER DISCREPANCIES NOTED. ACFT RETURNED TO SERVICE.
DURING 500 HOUR INSPECTIONS FOUND FRAMES 5A & 7 CRACKED. DOUBLER WAS FABRICATED FROM .050 2024-O HEAT TREATED TO T3 & INSTALLED FOR FRAME 5A & DOUBLER MADE FROM 2024-T3 & INSTALLED ON FRAME 7 IAW REPAIR SHEET AHI2016-0040.
DEPARTED FOR SCENE FLIGHT MEETING EMS ON HOSPITAL PAD. THIS IS AN 18 MINUTE FLIGHT, ABOUT 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE CREW MEMBER IN THE BACK STARTED SMELLING OIL & FUEL TYPE FUMES. THE PILOT COULD AS WELL AS THE OTHER CREW MEMBER IN THE FRONT. ABOUT 1 - 2 MINUTES LATER THE PILOT & CREW STARTED TO SMELL HEAVY FUEL FUMES & THE AFT FACING CREW MEMBER REPORTED THAT HE WAS STARTING TO SEE FUEL POURING DOWN THE CLAMSHELL WINDOWS. IT WAS LEAKING INTO THE ACFT AS WELL. THE PILOT THEN PULLED THE CURTAIN TO THE SIDE & CONFIRMED THE FUEL LEAK & THEN TURNED OFF THE AC & INSTRUCTED ALL WINDOWS TO BE OPENED TO VENTILATE THE CABIN WITH FRESH AIR. THE SMELL & FUMES WERE STRONG AT THIS POINT. TOLD THE CREW TO CALL FLIGHT COM & REPORT THAT THEY WERE ABORTING THE FLIGHT. DIVERTED TO & LANDED AT LOCAL AIRPORT APPROX 2 MILES AWAY. AFTER SHUTDOWN HE INSPECTED THE ACFT & FOUND FUEL COVERING THE WHOLE SIDE OF THE ACFT FROM THE NR 2 ENG COWLING BACK TO THE TIP OF THE TAIL. A MECHANIC WAS CALLED IN & FOUND THAT NR 2 ENG STARTER VLV LEAKING EXCESSIVELY. THIS ACFT REMAINS OUT OF SERVICE AT THE TIME OF THIS SUBMISSION AWAITING A REPLACEMENT FUEL VLV ASSEMBLY.
ON THE AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM WHERE THE TAIL BOOM ATTACHES TO FENESTRON INTERNALLY IN THE LOWER PORTION (INSIDE ACCESS PANEL) THE TAIL BOOM RING FRAME HAS WHAT APPEARS TO BE CORROSION FROM LATENT MOISTURE WHICH LAYS IN AN AREA WHERE IT CANNOT ESCAPE. THE LOWER INTERNAL PORTION IS HAS PITTING CORROSION.
DURING AN APPROACH, PILOT NOTICED THAT THE ACFT STARTED TO YAW KICK/TAIL WAG THAT INCREASED IN FREQUENCY AS THE AIRSPEED DECREASED AND THE POWER WAS INCREASED. THE YAW SAS WAS CURRENTLY MEL'D ON THE ACFT AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURANCE. THE APPROACH WAS ABORTED AND THE PILOT PROCEEDED AND DID A MINIMUM POWERED SHALLOW APPROACH TO A HOVER ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE YAW KICK/TAIL WAG DID NOT OCCUR AGAIN DURING THIS APPROACH. THE ACFT WAS SHUTDOWN. ACFT WAS INSPECTED, AND A GROUND RUN WAS CONDUCTED. THE YAW SAS DID RECOUPLE DURING THE ENGINE START PART OF THE CHECKLIST. THE CONDITION COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE WITH THE CURRENT YAW AS DEFERRAL.