Accident
On September 27, 2008, about 2358 eastern daylight time, a helicopter operated by the Maryland State Police crashed in Walker Mill Regional Park, District Heights, Maryland. The aircraft, an Aerospatiale (Eurocopter) SA365N1 registered as N92MD with call sign Trooper 2, was conducting a public medical evacuation flight. It impacted terrain about 3.2 miles north of the threshold of runway 19R at Andrews Air Force Base (ADW) while executing an instrument landing system approach.
Aircraft and Flight
The helicopter was owned and operated by the Maryland State Police. The flight had originated from a landing zone at Wade Elementary School in Waldorf, Maryland, at about 2337, destined for Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, Maryland. The crew consisted of a commercial pilot, a flight paramedic, and a field provider. On board were two patients from an automobile accident. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at departure, but the flight encountered instrument meteorological conditions en route and diverted to Andrews Air Force Base. No flight plan was filed with the Federal Aviation Administration, and none was required. The Maryland State Police System Communications Center (SYSCOM) was tracking the flight using global positioning system data transmitted through an experimental Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast communications link.
Injuries and Damage
The commercial pilot, one flight paramedic, one field provider, and one of the two patients were killed. The other patient survived with serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital. The helicopter was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and terrain.
Investigation
The Safety Board's full report is available as NTSB/AAR-09/07.