History of Flight
On June 11, 2013, at 1830 central daylight time, a Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopter, registration N935EM, operating as EagleMed 35, was substantially damaged after impacting terrain during takeoff at Choctaw Indian Hospital Heliport (OK35) in Talihina, Oklahoma. The helicopter had arrived at OK35 and initially landed on a road adjacent to the helipad because another helicopter was occupying the helipad. After the other helicopter departed, EagleMed 35 remained parked on the road for about an hour. During takeoff, the left side of the main rotor blades struck a metal light pole about 175 feet west of the takeoff position. Control was lost, and the helicopter came to rest on its right side about 230 feet from the takeoff position. A small post-impact fire was extinguished by first responders. The patient was fatally injured, the flight nurse seriously injured, and the pilot and flight paramedic sustained minor injuries.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 32, held an FAA commercial pilot certificate with rotorcraft-helicopter and instrument helicopter ratings, as well as a flight instructor certificate. He had an estimated 3,560 total helicopter hours, with about 88 hours in AS-350 helicopters. He had completed the operator's approved training program and initial pilot competency check in August 2012, and night vision goggle training in April 2013.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine helicopter, N935EM, serial number 7427, was manufactured in 2012, powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 engine. The last inspection was on May 21, 2013 at 470.0 hours airframe time. At the accident, total time was 552.5 hours. The helicopter was equipped with an Appareo Vision 1000 recorder, but it did not record the accident flight. The recorder had been returned for repair earlier in March 2013. Weight and balance calculations showed the helicopter weighed about 4,840 pounds at takeoff, below the maximum of 4,961 pounds.
Meteorological Information
Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The closest weather station, 28 miles away, reported wind from 180 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies. At the accident location, the sun altitude was 23 degrees above the horizon with azimuth 283 degrees.
Airport Information
OK35 heliport had an elevation of 890 feet msl. It had a single concrete helipad measuring 50 by 48 feet. A paved road was about 50 feet north of the helipad. There were lamp posts: a 20-foot tall lamp post about 125 feet northeast of the helipad, another 20-foot lamp post about 125 feet northwest, and other lamp posts about 40 feet tall further west. A line of trees about 40 feet tall ran along the north edge of the road.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The fuselage came to rest on its right side, oriented about 330 degrees. A 40-foot tall lamp post was impact separated about 24 feet above its mounting flange. All three main rotor blades showed leading edge damage from mid-span to tips. The transmission and main rotor system were partially separated. The pilot and medical crew seats remained attached with intact restraints. The patient stretcher base remained attached, and restraint straps were intact. The engine exhibited signs of foreign object damage. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Additional Information
The operator reported they have begun routinely monitoring the Appareo Vision 1000 system recordings as part of their SMS program. The operator recommended that the pilot could have used a different departure path or followed company procedure to identify and climb above the highest obstacle before transitioning to forward flight.