An improperly installed part was to blame for the engine failure and subsequent crash of a Eurocopter AS350 B3 during an emergency medical services (EMS) positioning flight in Tucson, Arizona, U.S., on July 28, 2010, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says.
The pilot and two medical personnel were killed when the helicopter, which had been cruising at 800 ft, entered a rapid descent and struck a 5-ft-high (2-m-high) concrete wall. The wall penetrated the fuselage and the fuel tank. The helicopter, operated by Air Methods as a LifeNet flight, was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.
In its final report on the accident, the NTSB said the probable causes were that “the repair station technician did not properly install the fuel inlet union1 during reassembly of the [Turbomeca Arriel 2B1] engine, the operator’s maintenance personnel did not adequately inspect the technician’s work, and the pilot who perfo…
