Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Greensburg, Indiana 47240
Sunday, August 31, 2008 13:20 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The emergency medical services crew had attended a local fundraising event and was returning to the helicopter/crew base when the accident occurred. Witnesses reported that the helicopter made a normal departure. They subsequently reported seeing components separate from the helicopter before it descended and impacted the ground. The helicopter came to rest in a corn field approximately 1.2 miles from the departure point. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that an 8-foot section of one of the main rotor blades separated in-flight rendering the helicopter uncontrollable. Metallurgical examination determined that the blade failed as a result of fatigue cracking. The origin of the fatigue crack coincided with a large void between the blade spar and an internal lead weight. Further investigation determined that the presence of residual stresses in the spar from the manufacturing process, in combination with excessive voids between the spar and the lead weight, likely resulted in the fatigue failure of the blade. The manufacturer issued an alert service bulletin that identified main rotor blades that may have been affected by the combination of residual stresses and excessive voids between the spar and the lead weight. The service bulletin also called for supplemental inspections in order to maintain the continued airworthiness of the affected blades.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight separation of a main rotor blade due to a fatigue failure of the blade spar, rendering the helicopter uncontrollable, and the manufacturer's production of main rotor blades with latent manufacturing defects, which precipitated the fatigue failure of the blade spar.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/31/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1320 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Greensburg |
| Event State | INDIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 47240 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 391956N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0853713W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1350 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 255 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BAK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 656 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28449 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 31 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 8 2011 1:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Indianapolis FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N37AE |
| NTSB Number | CHI08FA269 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45230 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4150 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 21 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 26244 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Air Evac EMS Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 306 Davis Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | West Plains |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 65775 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Air Evac EMS Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 306 Davis Drive |
| Operator City | West Plains |
| Operator State | MO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 65775 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Burney |
| Departure State | IN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1315 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Rushville |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 27 2010 10:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | Discretionary |