On January 22, 2001, a Bell 206L-1 (registration N61AE) operated by Air Evac Ems was involved in an aviation accident near Quincy, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The security guard failed to maintain clearance with the operating tail rotor. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A hospital security guard walked into a spinning tail rotor of an EMS helicopter and later succumbed to his injuries. The incident occurred while the helicopter was being prepared for a flight with a pilot and nurse on board.
Incident
A hospital security guard was struck by the tail rotor of an EMS helicopter and later died from his injuries. The accident occurred while the helicopter was on the ground with rotors turning.
Sequence of Events
The pilot and a nurse were on board the helicopter preparing for an EMS flight. The medic remained outside to connect a battery cart. According to the medic, several hospital security guards were standing near him when the helicopter was started. After disconnecting the battery cart, the medic was closing the battery access panel when he heard a loud noise. Looking up, he noticed the battery cart had moved near the tail of the helicopter. He shouted for the pilot to shut down the helicopter. Circling around the aircraft, he found one of the security guards lying on the ground near the tail rotor.
Background
The security guard had received training on how to safely approach a helicopter when the rotors are operating. His duties at the time of the accident were to keep unauthorized personnel away from the helicopter during operation.