PLT OF SMT EMS HELI ACFT WAS FORCED TO LAND ENRTE TO PICK UP PATIENT DUE TO SEVERE TURB AND EMER LOCATOR XMITTER ACTIVATING. IN ADDITION; THE PLT OVERREACTED TO THE FLT CTLS AND DAMAGED THE ROTOR CTL SYS.
Synopsis
PLT OF SMT EMS HELI ACFT WAS FORCED TO LAND ENRTE TO PICK UP PATIENT DUE TO SEVERE TURB AND EMER LOCATOR XMITTER ACTIVATING. IN ADDITION; THE PLT OVERREACTED TO THE FLT CTLS AND DAMAGED THE ROTOR CTL SYS.
Narrative
I WAS DISPATCHED TO FLY FROM ZZZ HOSPITAL TO PICK UP A PATIENT AT HOSPITAL IN LOCATION A. ENRTE TO LOCATION A I WAS AT 8500 FT MSL 120 KIAS. I HAD JUST CROSSED A RIDGE AND DECIDED TO DSND TO LESSEN THE EFFECT OF THE HEADWIND. I ESTABLISHED A RATE OF DSCNT 300 TO 500 FPM. I FELT A SINKING FEELING; XCHKED THE VSI AND IT WAS INDICATING 1200-1500 FPM. AS I APPLIED AFT CYCLIC TO SLOW THE RATE OF DSCNT; THE NOSE PITCHED UP AT A FAST RATE TO APPROX 15-20 DEGS NOSE UP. I APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC AND REDUCED COLLECTIVE PITCH. AT THE TIME OF THE NOSE PITCHING UP THE EMER LOCATOR XMITTER ACTIVATED. A BEEP TONE WAS HEARD. I THOUGHT IT WAS LOW ROTOR AND APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC AND REDUCED COLLECTIVE PITCH. AS THE ACFT LEVELED; I XCHKED THE INSTS AND DETERMINED ROTOR RPM WAS WITHIN LIMITS. THE MAST TORQUE GAUGE WAS READING ZERO AND FLUCTUATED AND INDICATED NORMALLY. I LANDED TO RESET EMER LOCATOR XMITTER AND FOUND A LIFE PACK; (ABOUT A 15 POUND PIECE OF EQUIP) BY THE EMER LOCATOR XMITTER AND ASSUMED THE LIFE PACK SET OFF THE EMER LOCATOR XMITTER. I FELT THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE AND THAT THE ACFT WAS SAFE TO BE OPERATED NORMALLY. ON THE RETURN FLT THE MAST TORQUE GAUGE FLUCTUATED AND FAILED PRIOR TO LNDG ZZZ HOSPITAL. THE ON CALL MECH WAS CALLED TO REPAIR THE TORQUE GAUGE AND FOUND THE XMISSION HAD SMASHED A WIRE AND CONTACTED THE MOUNTS. TO ME IT SEEMS IT WAS CAUSED BY THE TURB ENCOUNTER AND BEING TOO AGGRESSIVE ON THE CTLS; I.E.; HEARING THE EMER LOCATOR XMITTER TONE AND REACTING TO LOW ROTOR. THE AREA OF THE TURB WAS 10 MI S OF ZZZ AND ABOVE 30 MI NW OF XYZ. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS CONCERNING RPT DURING THE EMS STRUCTURED CALLBACK.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.