Overview
On March 6, 2022, at 2359 eastern standard time, an Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH MBB-BK 117-C-2 helicopter, registration N29VA, was substantially damaged in an accident at Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI) in Abingdon, Virginia. The helicopter was operated by the Virginia Department of State Police (VSP) as a public aircraft. The pilot sustained serious injuries, while the two flight paramedics were not injured.
Flight History
The pilot began his duty day at 0800 and completed four air medical transportation flights before being called at 2200 for a patient transfer from Lonesome Pine Hospital (VG50) in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, to Holston Valley Hospital (3TN5) in Kingsport, Tennessee. The flights to and from these hospitals occurred without incident.
During the return flight from 3TN5 to VJI, the pilot reported that upon liftoff he slowly pulled up on the collective and the helicopter became light on the skids. He then noted a sound like an engine surge and observed the engine power needles surge upward. The pilot asked the front-seat paramedic if he heard the noise; the paramedic later reported that he did not hear the surge. The pilot continued to a hover, observed normal engine indications, and proceeded en route to VJI without further incident.
Accident Sequence
At VJI, the pilot conducted a visual approach to runway 6 and entered a hover taxi along a taxiway toward the VSP ramp hangar and landing dolly. On the ramp, he executed a pedal turn to orient the helicopter 180° opposite the taxiway direction, then performed a side-step maneuver to align the skids with reference points on the dolly. The pilot reported descending the helicopter and briefly feeling a skid touchdown on the dolly, simultaneously hearing what he thought was an engine surge similar to earlier. The helicopter then abruptly entered a nose-low attitude and right bank, becoming oriented opposite the intended landing direction. The pilot applied aft cyclic and lowered the collective, and the helicopter impacted terrain.
The helicopter came to rest upright with collapsed skids, about 50 ft east of the dolly's original position. The engines continued running; the pilot shut them down, and all occupants evacuated without difficulty. Neither paramedic reported hearing or feeling any engine anomaly during the flight.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the helicopter and engines found no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure. Flight and throttle controls operated normally during postaccident testing. Both engines were removed and tested in an engine test cell, producing normal power; an uncommanded engine surge could not be duplicated at various power settings.
The landing dolly, painted yellow, sat 18 inches off the ground on wheels and had an open center gap 3.5 ft wide. It sustained impact-related twisting and deformation. Witness marks were observed on the dolly, and yellow paint transfer was found on the helicopter's skids. The forward portion of the right skid had sheared off. The dolly manufacturer reported that the center-gap style was about 10–12 years old, and that since about 2015, standard equipment included a center metal plate to prevent objects or people from falling into the gap. The VSP aviation division commander stated that the base's replacement dolly was equipped with such a plate.
Operational Context
According to the VSP aviation division commander, VJI was one of three operating bases in the state, with primary missions of public emergency medical evacuation flights (Med-Flight) and law enforcement operations. All flights were conducted as public-use operations, not required to comply with 14 CFR Parts 91 or 135. VSP scheduling standard operating procedures assigned pilots to 24.3-hour duty shifts for Med-Flight operations, based on staffing needs. On the accident day, the pilot awoke at 0630, reported at VJI at 0800, and his total task time was 8 hours 27 minutes during five mission flights. His duty period from start to accident time was 15 hours 59 minutes, and he had been awake for 17 hours 29 minutes without a nap. The pilot stated he felt no pressure to accept missions when tired and did not believe fatigue was a factor. After the accident, VSP revised scheduling procedures, eliminating 24.3-hour pilot shifts at Med-Flight bases in favor of 12-hour shifts with 24-hour coverage; other bases use shifts up to 16 hours until additional pilots are hired.