Incident Overview
On May 13, 2022, at approximately 2100 eastern daylight time, a Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm BK117 B-2 helicopter, registered as N370SS, was substantially damaged during a ground incident at the Strong Memorial Hospital Heliport in Rochester, New York. The helicopter was operated as a Part 135 air ambulance flight. The commercial pilot and two crewmembers were not injured.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot, after landing on the helipad, he moved his left hand from the collective to the power levers. The crew entered the helicopter shortly after landing and buckled in. The pilot then moved the power levers to the "fly" position, turned on the light switches, and began adjusting the lights on the rooftop using the "Hat" switch. The pilot's right hand was on the cyclic when he heard a loud "bang" and noticed the rod from the wire cutter bouncing back and forth. He immediately shut down the engines, and the crew exited the helicopter. The pilot reported that the wind was light and variable at about 3 mph at the time.
Examination Findings
An examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed damage to the main rotor blades and the wire cutter. A rigging check of the flight controls, performed under FAA supervision, showed no anomalies that would have contributed to the accident. Additionally, a static functional test of the mast moment indicator and a pre-departure test run were conducted, both with no anomalies noted. A review of the last 12-month and 100-hour maintenance inspections did not reveal any evidence of relevant maintenance to the helicopter's flight control systems.