Monthly Accident and Incident Data for the Month of January 2013
CEN13CA124 - FACTUAL ACCIDENT OCCURRED WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 02, 2013 IN MENARD, TX AIRCRAFT: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II, REGISTRATION: N744RM INJURIES: 1 UNINJURED
The helicopter was flying to the west,
into the sun, at 250 feet above ground level. The pilot heard a loud "bang" and observed a black object go by the left side of his helicopter. The passenger side windshield was struck by the object. The pilot performed a forced landing to the highway. During the forced landing, both landing skids separated and the helicop- ter slid to a stop. The lower fuselage was buckled and wrinkled in several locations. The pilot reported no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
CEN13FA121 - PRELIMINARY INJURIES: 4 SERIOUS
On January 2, 2013, about 1245 cen-
tral standard time, a Eurocopter EC130 B4 helicopter, N334AM, experienced a hard landing following a loss of engine power near Seminole, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot and three crew members were seriously injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The heli- copter was owned and operated by a commercial EMS helicopter operator, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a position- ing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed, and activated. The flight departed from the Seminole Regional Airport (KSRE), Seminole, Oklahoma, at 1242, and was en route to a hospital in Okemah, Oklahoma. According to initial statements, short- ly after takeoff, the helicopter's engine
46 March 2013 On January 2, 2013, about 2057 cen-
tral standard time, a Bell Helicopter model 407, N445MT, impacted terrain near Clear Lake, Iowa. The pilot and two medical crew members sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was destroyed. The heli- copter was registered a commercial equipment leasing & finance corporation and operated by A commercial EMS heli- copter operator under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as a positioning flight. Night visual meteoro- logical conditions prevailed for the flight, which was operated on a company flight plan. A flight plan was not filed with the Federal Aviation Administration. The flight originated from the Mercy Medical Center, Mason City, Iowa, about 2049, with an intended destination of the Palo Alto County Hospital, (IA76), Emmetsburg, Iowa.
A witness located about 1 mile south
of the accident site, reported observing the helicopter as it approached from the east. He noted that it appeared to slow and then turn to the north. When he looked again, the helicopter appeared to descend straight down. He subsequently went back into his house and called 911. He described the weather conditions as “misty,” with a light wind. A second witness reported that he
was working in his garage when he heard the helicopter. He stated that the sound of the helicopter changed as if it was turning, followed by what he described as a “thump” and then everything was quiet. He subsequently responded to the acci- dent with the Ventura Fire Department.
stopped producing power. The pilot per- formed an autorotation to a field and dur- ing the landing, touched down hard. The helicopter remained in the upright posi- tion. After on-scene documentation, the wreckage was removed for further exami- nation.
CEN13FA122 - PRELIMINARY INJURIES: 3 FATAL
He reported that there was a coating of ice on his truck windshield that the wipers would not clear. He decided to drive another car to the fire station because it had been parked in the garage. While responding to the accident site with the fire department, as the fire truck he was on was waiting to cross Highway 18, they observed a Clear Lake police car, also responding to the accident, slide through the intersection. They informed dispatch to advise following units to expect slick road conditions. He noted that there was a haze in the air, which was evident when looking toward a street light; however, he did not recall any precipitation at the time. A pilot located at the Mason City air-
port reported that he saw the helicopter fly overhead and estimated its altitude as 300 feet above ground level (agl). He was leaving the airport at that time and noted there was a glaze of ice on his car. He added that the roads were icy as he drove out of the airport and onto Highway 18. He commented that he had flown into Mason City about 1830 and encountered some light rime ice at that time. Satellite tracking data depicted the
helicopter becoming airborne at the med- ical center about 2049. According to the data, between 2050 and 2055, the heli- copter proceeded westbound along Highway 18 about 1,800 feet mean sea level (msl). The final tracking data point was recorded about 2056 and was locat- ed approximately 1 mile north of Highway 18, along Balsam Avenue. The altitude associated with that data point was 2,648 feet msl. The accident site was located about one-quarter mile west of the final data point. The helicopter impacted a harvested
agricultural field. The debris path was about 100 feet long and oriented toward the west-southwest. The helicopter was fragmented, and the cockpit and cabin areas were compromised. The main wreckage consisted of the main rotor blades, transmission, engine, portions of the fuselage, and the tail boom. The tail
Federal Aviation Administration
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