WEEK 4
H2F brings you the ‘helicopter mayday of the week’ with a short accident report summary. I tell you what happened. You think more about why it happened. We all learn from it. Because that’s what accident reporting is for.
TITLE
EMS helicopter crashes during rooftop heliport approach after loss of control in high winds.
WHAT?
An EMS helicopter was returning to an elevated rooftop heliport to pick up two medical crew-members after a patient drop-off. During the previous landing, crew-members observed significant rolling and yawing, and the pilot reportedly had difficulty landing. After refuelling at another heliport, the pilot returned to the rooftop pad. During the night approach, the helicopter lost directional control, descended rapidly, struck the edge of a hospital building, and crashed into a parking area, where a post-impact fire occurred.
WHERE?
St. Louis University Hospital elevated rooftop helipad, St. Louis, Missouri.
WHEN?
The accident occurred on March 6, 2015, at approximately 23:10 local time. The final NTSB report was published on June 22, 2016 & later revised July 3, 2024.
HOW?
During the return approach to the rooftop pad, the helicopter encountered high winds and a right quartering tailwind. The aircraft was operating at low airspeed with high power as it descended toward the heliport. Witness and video evidence showed a steep descending approach followed by loss of directional control and an uncontrolled descent. The helicopter struck the building edge and impacted the ground, after which a fuel tank fire and explosion occurred.
CONDITIONS?
The operation was conducted in night VMC in a complex urban rooftop environment. Winds aloft increased significantly with height, producing turbulence, low-level wind shear, and mechanical turbulence from surrounding buildings. The heliport had multiple obstructions within and around the final approach and takeoff area, limiting available approach paths and sometimes preventing headwind approaches. The helicopter’s flight manual did not provide wind-speed/azimuth guidance for this model, reducing available performance reference information for the pilot during decision-making.
OUTCOME?
The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Investigators concluded that the impact sequence was likely survivable but that the subsequent fuel-fed fire resulted in fatal thermal injuries.
WHY?
- Pilot’s decision to land during unfavorable wind conditions.
- Loss of control due to possible vortex ring state.
- High-wind conditions including a right quartering tailwind.
- Turbulent airflow and wind shear effects created by surrounding buildings.
- Lack of an adequate approach path due to multiple heliport obstructions.
- Lack of sufficient flight manual guidance on helicopter performance..
REFERENCE?
National Transportation Safety Board. (2016, June 22). Aviation investigation final report: Accident number CEN15FA164 (Airbus Helicopters EC130-B4, N356AM). National Transportation Safety Board. https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90830
Note:
Accident reports selected from the following open source databases: US NTSB; UK AAIB; Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network; Australia’s ATSB. Ireland’s AAIU; Taiwan’s TTSB; France’s BEA; Spain’s CIAIAC. Germany’s BFU.
competentaviators.com 