The NTSB has filed a
factual report on the tragic July 13th, 2004 crash of a Bell 407
(file photos, below) serving an EMS role in foggy conditions.
Of particular note are some additional statements that seem to
indicate that the pilot of this flight may not have been aware that
other entities had turned the flight down before he accepted the
mission. Excerpts of the report are attached
below...
NTSB Identification: CHI04MA182.
The docket is stored in the Docket Management System (DMS). Please
contact Records Management Division
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 13, 2004 in Newberry, SC
Aircraft: Bell 407, registration: N503MT
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On July 13, 2004, about 0532 eastern daylight time, a Bell 407
helicopter, N503MT, operated by Med-Trans Corporation (MTC)
collided with trees shortly after takeoff from interstate highway
26 (I-26) near Newberry, South Carolina. The pilot, flight nurse,
flight paramedic, and patient were killed, and the helicopter was
destroyed by impact and postcrash fire. The 14 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 135 emergency medical services (EMS) flight was en
route to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where it had departed
about 0502. Night visual meteorological conditions with mist and
light fog prevailed in the area of the accident site. A company
flight plan had been filed, and flight-following was being provided
by the Spartanburg County Communications 911 Department of the
Spartanburg County Office of Emergency Services.
The accident pilot was
notified of the EMS mission about 0452. After performing a weather
check, he accepted the mission about 0455. The accident helicopter
departed the Spartanburg Regional Medical Center helicopter pad
about 7 minutes later en route to the accident site, which was
located at the 64-mile marker rest stop on I-26. The accident pilot
reported that three people were on board and that he had 2 hours of
fuel. He estimated that they would arrive at the accident site in
18 to 20 minutes. The direct distance from the helicopter pad to
the rest stop was about 42 miles. The helicopter cruise speed was
about 130 knots.
The accident pilot reported that they were on-scene about 0523.
Emergency personnel at the accident site reported that the
helicopter's "night sun" searchlight was on as it approached the
landing zone. The helicopter circled the landing zone once before
landing in front of a fire truck in the eastbound lane of I-26. The
witnesses reported that there was light ground fog in the area and
that it was foggier above the treetops, which was evident when the
helicopter descended with its searchlight on. Emergency personnel
reported that the helicopter was on-scene about 10 minutes before
it departed across the westbound lanes of I-26 and climbed above
the trees.
A truck driver who was stopped on the eastbound lane of I-26
reported during a postaccident interview that he was about 75 to
100 yards from the helicopter when it landed. He reported that he
observed the helicopter takeoff from the landing zone, proceed
across the westbound lanes of I-26, climb above the trees, and turn
toward Spartanburg. He reported that with the helicopter's
searchlight on, he could see the helicopter's silhouette and that
there was slight fog and haze in the area. He reported that the
helicopter made no abrupt maneuvers and that the engine "didn't
sound like it was missing, sputtering, or any other kind of power
loss." He reported that the helicopter was straight and level then
"pitched forward to go forward." He reported the helicopter was
"flying level" as it descended into the trees. At 0531:55, the
Spartanburg County 911 dispatch desk recorded about 1 second of a
"keyed" microphone, but no voice transmission was recorded when the
microphone was activated.
About 0538, the
Newberry County Communications Center 911 contacted Spartanburg
County 911 dispatch and reported receiving a call that the
helicopter had crashed. Spartanburg County 911 dispatch and
Newberry County 911 began to try to locate and communicate with the
accident helicopter. About 0629, Newberry 911 informed Spartanburg
County 911 dispatch that emergency personnel had located the
helicopter wreckage.
METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
The closest weather reporting station was Greenwood County
Airport (GRD), located about 24 miles southwest of the accident
site. The 0456 reported weather at GRD was: winds calm, visibility
5 miles in mist, sky clear below 12,000 feet, temperature 22
degrees Celsius (C), dew point 21 degrees C, altimeter 29.94 inches
of mercury.
The 0556 reported weather at GRD was: winds from 200 degrees at
6 knots, visibility 4 miles in mist, ceiling broken at 300 feet,
temperature and dew point 22 degrees C, altimeter 29.95 inches of
mercury.
The 0604 reported special weather observation at GRD was: winds
from 210 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 1.75 miles in mist, ceiling
broken at 300 feet, temperature and dew point 22 degrees C,
altimeter 29.95 inches of mercury.
The next closest weather reporting facility was at the
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), located in
Greer, South Carolina, 38 miles northwest of the accident site. The
0413 reported special weather observation at GSP was: wind calm,
visibility 1.5 miles in mist, sky clear below 12,000 feet,
temperature and dew point 21 degrees C, altimeter 29.93 inches of
mercury.
The 0443 reported special weather observation at GSP was: wind
calm, visibility 6 miles in mist, sky clear below 12,000 feet,
temperature and dew point 22 degrees C, altimeter 29.93 inches of
mercury.
The 0453 reported weather observation at GSP was: wind calm,
visibility 1 mile in mist, sky condition missing, temperature and
dew point 21 degrees C, altimeter 29.93 inches of mercury.
An EMS helicopter pilot from Med-Trans One, based in Greenville,
South Carolina, reported that Med-Trans One departed about 0628 to
search for the accident helicopter. The helicopter accident site
was about 45 miles from Med-Trans One's base. The pilot reported
that he had to return to base about 25 miles into the flightbecause
of heavy ground fog. He reported that the fog "extended from the
surface to about 500 feet and was a solid blanket as far as I could
see on the horizon."
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Dispatch and 911 Communications
About 0429, the Newberry County Communications Center 911 first
notified Palmetto Health Richland, Columbia, South Carolina, that
an accident had occurred at the 64-mile marker rest stop on I-26.
Newberry 911 requested that the CareForce EMS helicopter be put on
standby to launch to the accident site. About 0440, Newberry 911
requested that CareForce launch to the accident site. CareForce
departed about 0443, but after 2 minutes of flight, CareForce
returned to base due to fog in the area. About 0446, CareForce
dispatch notified Newberry 911 that CareForce had returned to base
due to fog.
About 0448, the Newberry 911 dispatcher contacted MTC One
dispatch located in Greenville, South Carolina. MTC One dispatch
informed Newberry 911 that MTC One was operating in condition "red"
status, meaning that no flights would take off until weather
conditions improved (the MTC One pilot had notified dispatch about
0025 that MTC One was out of service due to the developing fog in
the area). The MTC One dispatcher turned down the Newberry 911
request without contacting the MTC One pilot. About 0449, the
Newberry 911 dispatcher contacted Life Reach 1, located in
Columbia, South Carolina, to determine if that operator could
accept the mission. The Life Reach 1 pilot initially accepted the
mission but declined it when he learned that CareForce had returned
due to fog.
About 0450, the Newberry 911 dispatcher contacted Spartanburg
County 911 dispatch requesting services. The Spartanburg County 911
dispatcher asked Newberry 911 for information about the accident
scene, such as location, coordinates, and frequencies. The
Spartanburg County dispatcher then checked the flight status of the
Spartanburg MTC helicopter and determined the status was "yellow,"
which meant the pilot had to be contacted so that he could perform
a weather check before accepting a mission. The Newberry 911
dispatcher informed the Spartanburg County 911 dispatcher that
other operators had declined the mission, stating "Greenville
couldn't fly cause the fog was too bad. Columbia couldn't fly..."
The Spartanburg County dispatcher responded, "It may be the
same...give, ah..." The Newberry 911 dispatcher continued to
provide information about the launch request.
About 0452, as the Spartanburg County 911 dispatcher continued
to collect information about the launch request, another
Spartanburg County dispatcher telephoned the accident flight crew
and asked if they were available to fly. The dispatcher informed
the flight nurse that MTC One was not flying and that there was an
EMS mission in Newberry County. The flight nurse informed the
second dispatcher that the pilot would have to perform a weather
check before he could accept the mission. The accident pilot
accepted the mission about 0455. Neither Spartanburg County 911
dispatcher informed the accident pilot that CareForce had aborted
the mission due to fog or that Life Reach 1 had turned down the
mission.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.13.24)
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