NTSB Identification: CEN15MA290
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Friday, July 03, 2015 in Frisco, CO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/09/2017
Aircraft: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC AS350B3E, registration: N390LG
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious.
NTSB investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-17/01.
On July 3, 2015, about 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3e helicopter, N390LG, registered to and operated by Air Methods Corporation, lifted off from the Summit Medical Center Heliport, Frisco, Colorado, and then crashed into a parking lot; the impact point was located 360 feet southwest of the ground-based helipad. The pilot was fatally injured, and the two flight nurses were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
Airbus Helicopters' dual-hydraulic AS350 B3e helicopter's (1) preflight hydraulic check, which depleted hydraulic pressure in the tail rotor hydraulic circuit, and (2) lack of salient alerting to the pilot that hydraulic pressure was not restored before takeoff. Such alerting might have cued the pilot to his failure to reset the yaw servo hydraulic switch to its correct position during the preflight hydraulic check, which resulted in a lack of hydraulic boost to the pedal controls, high pedal forces, and a subsequent loss of control after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to perform a hover check after liftoff, which would have alerted him to the pedal control anomaly at an altitude that could have allowed him to safely land the helicopter. Contributing to the severity of the injuries was the helicopter's fuel system, which was not crash resistant and facilitated a fuel-fed postcrash fire.
Flight Nurse Matt Bowe grinned as Colorado Grand Community Liaison Eddie O'Brien presented him a $15,000 check for a memorial park, in memory of Patrick Mahany, who died in a Flight For Life helicopter crash last summer.
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Colorado Grand Communtiy Liason Eddie O'Brien and Flight Nurse Matt Bowe hugged after the grant was presented. Bowe is back in uniform after surviving a July helicopter crash.
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The Colorado Grand pledged donations to several Summit County nonprofits this year, giving out a total of $443,000 in proceeds across western Colorado communities.
This year, in addition to several annual grants, the program is also pledging $15,000 to help fund a memorial park at the crash site of the Lifeguard Two Flight For Life helicopter. The July 3 crash took the life of pilot and decorated Vietnam veteran Patrick Mahany, and seriously injured flight nurses David Repsher and Matt Bowe.
“We have been giving Flight For Life grants since the very beginning,” Colorado Grand spokesman Eddie O’Brien said. “This is a celebration of life. What a terrific loss we had when we lost Patrick.”
Plans for the pocket park are being drafted, with Norris Design selected as the landscape architects for the project. O’Brien noted that in addition to the bidders, several locals have offered their time and services to help realize the memorial.
“We took the single bid, and the other bidders have said they still want to be involved in this,” O’Brien said. “The landscape designers are donating time… This is a wonderful group.”
Julie Kelble, who is chairing the park committee, said they planned to put the memorial park off of the rec path by the hospital, overlooking the crash site. The committee has been meeting since September, and hopes to open the park to the public on July 3, 2016.
Julie Kelble, who is chairing a committee to build the memorial park, looks at a photo of Patrick Mahany. The decorated Vietnam veteran and Flight For Life pilot perished in a helicopter crash last July.A STORIED HISTORY
The Colorado Grand, created in 1989 by automotive enthusiast Bob Sutherland, has raised more than $4 million to date. Funds are raised through entry fees and donations for the annual car tour, which features five days of vintage (pre-1960s) sports and racecars driving through Colorado’s mountain towns.
Inspired by the Mille Miglia in Italy, the event took a turn of its own in bringing the cars through scenic mountain towns, and looking for ways to give back in turn.
Every year, the event gives funds to the Robert D. Sutherland Memorial Foundation to support bipolar-disorder therapy through a University of Colorado clinic, granting $40,000 this year.
The event also pledged a $150,000 donation to the Colorado State Patrol foundation, to help subsidize the Fallen Officers Fund, the Hardship Fund and the Tuition Scholarship Fund.
Colorado Grand presented a $4,000 grant to the Colorado Mountain College Foundation, to support GED and ESL scholarships in Summit County.“We have this tremendous relationship with (Colorado State Patrol),” Flight Nurse Peter Werlin said. “They’ve been with us through our tragedy, and we’ve been with them through their tragedies.”
Flight For Life and Colorado State Patrol receive grants from the Colorado Grand annually. In past years, the Grand has helped fund the Flight For Life Hangar at St. Anthony’s Summit Medical Center, named after Sandy Signman and Gary McCall who died in a Lifeguard Two crash landing on Huron Peak in 1994.
“The board members continue to support Flight For Life and take pride in building the hangar,” O’Brien said. “It was a community effort that built the hangar; the community ‘owns’ the hangar.”
The Colorado Grant also gave $12,000 to Court-Appointed Special Advocates of the Continental Divide (CASA). The funds will be used to support child advocacy in court, as well as training volunteers.
The Family and Intercultural Resource Center received $7,000 for parenting and fatherhood classes.Colorado Grand also gave several grants to local nonprofits on Thursday, including the Family and Intercultural Resource Center (FIRC), Colorado Mountain College, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and the League for Animals and People of the Summit (LAPS).
The FIRC received $7,500 for parenting and fatherhood classes, and CMC will have an additional $4,000 to support GED and ESL programs in Summit County. CASA was granted $12,000 to fund child advocacy operations and volunteer training. In addition, LAPS was granted $4,000 to support a medical fund for low-income Summit County pet owners.
“These guys just come and pour money into our communities,” Werlin said.
Story and photo gallery: http://www.summitdaily.com
In total, the Colorado Grand pledged more than $443,000 to Colorado nonprofits this year.
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NTSB Identification: CEN15FA290
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Friday, July 03, 2015 in Frisco, CO
Aircraft: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC AS350B3E, registration: N390LG
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On July 3, 2015, at 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Helicopter Inc. (formerly American Eurocopter) AS350B3e helicopter, N390LG, impacted the upper west parking lot 360 feet southwest of the Summit Medical Center helipad (91CO), Frisco, Colorado. A post-impact fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Air Methods Corp and the flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company flight plan. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured and two flight nurses were seriously injured. The public relations flight was en route to Gypsum, Colorado.
According to Air Methods the helicopter was flying to the American Spirit of Adventure Boy Scout Camp near Gypsum, Colorado, for a public relations mission. Multiple witnesses observed the helicopter lift off from the ground-based helipad, rotate counterclockwise, and climb simultaneously. One witness estimated that the helicopter reached an altitude of 100 feet before it started to descend. The helicopter continued to spin counterclockwise several times before it impacted a parking lot and an RV to the southwest of the Flight for Life hangar and helipad. The helicopter came to rest on its right side, was damaged by impact forces, and was charred, melted, and partially consumed by fire.
NTSB Identification: CEN15MA290
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Friday, July 03, 2015 in Frisco, CO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/09/2017
Aircraft: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC AS350B3E, registration: N390LG
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious.
NTSB investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-17/01.
On July 3, 2015, about 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3e helicopter, N390LG, registered to and operated by Air Methods Corporation, lifted off from the Summit Medical Center Heliport, Frisco, Colorado, and then crashed into a parking lot; the impact point was located 360 feet southwest of the ground-based helipad. The pilot was fatally injured, and the two flight nurses were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
Airbus Helicopters' dual-hydraulic AS350 B3e helicopter's (1) preflight hydraulic check, which depleted hydraulic pressure in the tail rotor hydraulic circuit, and (2) lack of salient alerting to the pilot that hydraulic pressure was not restored before takeoff. Such alerting might have cued the pilot to his failure to reset the yaw servo hydraulic switch to its correct position during the preflight hydraulic check, which resulted in a lack of hydraulic boost to the pedal controls, high pedal forces, and a subsequent loss of control after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to perform a hover check after liftoff, which would have alerted him to the pedal control anomaly at an altitude that could have allowed him to safely land the helicopter. Contributing to the severity of the injuries was the helicopter's fuel system, which was not crash resistant and facilitated a fuel-fed postcrash fire.
The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration AVP-100; Washington, District of Columbia
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Denver, Colorado
Airbus; Grand Prairie, Texas
Turbomeca; Grand Prairie, Texas
Air Methods Corporation; Denver, Colorado
OPEIU - Local 109; Denver, Colorado
BEA
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Docket And Docket Items - National Transportation Safety Board:
https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
NTSB Identification: CEN15MA290
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Friday, July 03, 2015 in Frisco, CO
Aircraft: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC AS350B3E, registration: N390LG
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious.
NTSB investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-17/01.
On July 3, 2015, about 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3e helicopter, N390LG, registered to and operated by Air Methods Corporation, lifted off from the Summit Medical Center Heliport, Frisco, Colorado, and then crashed into a parking lot; the impact point was located 360 feet southwest of the ground-based helipad. The pilot was fatally injured, and the two flight nurses were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Dave Repsher at home.
Dave Repsher
Dave Repsher
FRISCO, Colo. (CBS4) – They were powerful steps, not taken lightly.
Dave Repsher has been through the most painful of treatments — for burns. This week, he walked out of a hospital to go home after more than a year of inpatient treatment.
Repsher is the Flight For Life nurse who barely survived the crash of a helicopter near the St. Anthony Summit Medical Center on Fourth of July weekend last year. The helicopter, with a mechanical problem, lifted off, then crashed only a few feet away.
A lawsuit by the families claims the helicopter had a malfunction in its tail rotor. Repsher was burned over 90 percent of his body.
The crash killed pilot Patrick Mahany. One other nurse was on board, Matt Bowe. His injuries were less severe than Repsher’s and he’s returned to work.
The battle to overcome the damage from burns has been a daily fight. His wife Amanda has been by his side. Repsher is a hero in the community; known for the many times he helped others. He has a reputation as a tough guy, burnished by his love of the outdoors and hockey.
The community gave back. Fundraising efforts in the community to help Repsher and his wife brought in money. A hockey tournament run by the charity Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation at Copper Mountain early this year brought in more.
Repsher’s medical issues are not resolved, but he’s home. He and Amanda walked out of the hospital hand-in-hand.
Repsher did it under his own power.
Source: http://denver.cbslocal.com
PATRICK EDWIN MAHANY, JR.
DEC. 8, 1950 - JULY 3, 2015
AIR METHODS CORP: http://registry.faa.gov/N390LG
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Denver FSDO-03
NTSB Identification: CEN15FA290
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Friday, July 03, 2015 in Frisco, CO
Aircraft: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC AS350B3E, registration: N390LG
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On July 3, 2015, at 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Helicopter Inc. (formerly American Eurocopter) AS350B3e helicopter, N390LG, impacted the upper west parking lot 360 feet southwest of the Summit Medical Center helipad (91CO), Frisco, Colorado. A post-impact fire ensued. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Air Methods Corp and the flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company flight plan. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured and two flight nurses were seriously injured. The public relations flight was en route to Gypsum, Colorado.
According to Air Methods the helicopter was flying to the American Spirit of Adventure Boy Scout Camp near Gypsum, Colorado, for a public relations mission. Multiple witnesses observed the helicopter lift off from the ground-based helipad, rotate counterclockwise, and climb simultaneously. One witness estimated that the helicopter reached an altitude of 100 feet before it started to descend. The helicopter continued to spin counterclockwise several times before it impacted a parking lot and an RV to the southwest of the Flight for Life hangar and helipad. The helicopter came to rest on its right side, was damaged by impact forces, and was charred, melted, and partially consumed by fire.
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