Accident Overview
On February 28, 2019, at approximately 1500 central standard time, a Sikorsky HH-60L helicopter, registration N260MW, sustained substantial damage following an accident near Tullahoma, Tennessee. The two pilots on board received serious injuries. The helicopter was being operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 repositioning flight.
Flight History
The flight's purpose was to reposition the helicopter for maintenance and inspection. A special airworthiness certificate and ferry flight permit had been issued for the flight from Enterprise Municipal Airport (EDN), Enterprise, Alabama, to Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA), with a restriction for visual flight rules (VFR) operation. According to the pilot-in-command, the crew departed EDN earlier that morning, destined for THA, a route they had flown many times. They expected VFR conditions along the entire route. After stopping at Scottsboro Municipal Airport, Alabama (4A6), about 42 miles from the destination, for fuel and lunch, the pilot recalled clear weather. No updated weather briefing was obtained while at 4A6. Departure from 4A6 occurred at 1400 without issues. En route to THA, the crew encountered severe heavy rain, moderate turbulence, and rapidly deteriorating visibility. They descended to approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL) to maintain visual contact. When VFR flight conditions became impossible, they executed a turn and attempted to land in an open field. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the helicopter and provided no further details of the accident sequence.
Witness Account
A witness located about half a nautical mile from the accident site was outside her home when she heard a helicopter nearby. She could not see the helicopter due to clouds and noted light rain. The helicopter sounded "really loud and low, as if it were trying to land behind her house." She heard the helicopter for about 30 seconds before hearing a loud "whump whump" sound followed by a loud boom.
Wreckage Examination
Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that all major components of the helicopter were present at the accident site. The fuselage came to rest on its left side, nearly inverted, at the edge of a wooded area. The majority of the tailboom was found in an adjacent tree about 30 feet above the ground. The main rotor blades were all separated from the hub, fragmented, and strewn across an area approximately 100 yards in diameter.
Weather Conditions
Weather conditions reported at THA, about 2.5 nautical miles northeast of the accident site at an elevation of 1,084 feet mean sea level (MSL), at 1455 included an overcast cloud ceiling at 300 feet AGL, visibility 2.5 statute miles in mist, temperature 13°C, and dew point 12°C. The visibility had reduced to 1 mile by the next observation at 1515. A graphical aviation forecast issued by the National Weather Service at 1302 indicated overcast skies in the area around the accident time, with cloud bases at 1,100 feet MSL and tops at 9,000 feet MSL. Two airmen's meteorological information advisories (AIRMET) were issued at 1200 and 1500, warning of instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) expected in the accident area.