Accident Details
At approximately 2158 Mountain Daylight Time, the pilot of an emergency medical services (EMS) helicopter contacted Billings Tower and advised that he would be conducting approaches to Saint Vincent's Hospital for night currency. About nine minutes later, he contacted the tower again and stated he was being dispatched on an EMS flight to a ranch west-northwest of Billings. The pilot had difficulty locating the ranch at night but arrived at 2238.
The patient was loaded, and the pilot was advised of terrain conditions. After departure, the helicopter crossed a hill and crashed at high speed on lower terrain in a slight nose-low, right bank attitude, heading 330 degrees. No preimpact mechanical problem was found.
Witness Account
A witness reported that the helicopter lifted off fast, then swiveled around quickly toward the east and took off without hesitation. Relatives of the patient described the accident area as a "black hole."
Pilot Background
The pilot had been recently hired by the operator. Previous employment involved flying a dissimilar helicopter (BK-105) in the Gulf of Mexico area, limited to day VFR. The pilot's last recorded night flight was on June 16, 1987; his last recorded instrument flight was prior to June 1984. No record was found of familiarization training for the geographical area.