slipslap Wrote:
> in september. they had 12 Dauphins, now 11
> apparently.
Photos of the crashed helicopter in better days:
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N92MD&distinct_entry=true
The NTSB is still investigating the crash. Here's the 'preliminary' report:
____________________________________________________________________________________
NTSB Identification: MIA08MA203
14 CFR Public Use
Accident occurred Saturday, September 27, 2008 in Forestville, MD
Aircraft: AEROSPATIALE AS365, registration: N92MD
Injuries: 4 Fatal, 1 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On September 27, 2008, at 2358, eastern daylight time an Aerospatiale (Eurocopter) AS365N1, N92MD, call sign Trooper 2 (T2), registered to and operated by the Maryland State Police, as a Public Use medical evacuation flight, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and terrain near Forestville, Maryland. The flight had been cleared by air traffic control for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 19R at Andrews A.F. B. (ADW), Camp Springs, Maryland. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial pilot, one flight paramedic, one field provider, and one of two automobile accident patients being transported were killed. The other patient being transported survived the helicopter accident and was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The flight originated from a landing zone located at Wade Elementary School, Waldorf, Maryland, on September 27, 2008, at 2337, destined for the Prince George’s County Hospital (PG), Cheverly, Maryland.
Review of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), global navigation system used by the Maryland State Police for tracking and flight following revealed the medical evacuation mission request was received on September 27, 2008, at 2304:57, by the Maryland State Police System Communications (SYSCOM) duty officer. T2 was notified of the mission at 2305:10, and departed ADW at 2310:22 for the automobile accident site to pick up the two patients. The flight arrived at the landing zone at 2327:38, and after departing at 2357:54, diverted for ADW at 0001:56 because of unfavorable weather conditions at PG. The inaccuracies in times contained in the system were a result of the duty officers delay in making log entries into the system.
Review of communication transcripts for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Potomac Approach Control and ADW Tower revealed T2 contacted Potomac at 2348, and reported he was unable to complete a medical evacuation flight to PG because of unfavorable weather. T2 then requested an ILS approach to ADW and was issued radar vectors by the controller for the ILS runway 19R approach. The controller advised T2 that the most recent weather report for ADW showed ceiling 1,800 feet broken, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 21 degrees Celsius (C), and dew point 19 degrees C. At 2355, T2 was instructed to contact ADW Tower. The ADW Tower controller cleared T2 to land at 2355:24. At 2355:50, T2 informed the controller he was not receiving the glide slope. The controller replied that the monitor panel was "green" (no faults). T2 then requested an Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) approach. The controller responded she was not current and qualified to provide that service. There were no further transmissions received from T2.
A civilian pilot working for the Maryland State Police as Trooper 8 (T8), based in Norwood, Maryland, reported he overheard T2 on a scanner state he was unable to land at PG due to fog and was returning to ADW. T8 then looked at the weather for Gaithersburg, Maryland and ADW, which were both “good.” He also checked Tipton, Maryland, and College Park, Maryland, which were both below minimums with ceilings between 500 to 600 feet.
T8 added that the SYSCOM duty officer notified him at 0025 that T2 was missing, and requested he launch and head towards ADW. T8 departed Norwood, encountered low-level clouds 2 miles from ADW, and aborted the flight. After returning to Norwood, T8 and his medic proceeded in a vehicle to the area where T2 was thought to have crashed. Using the last radar return for the helicopter, T8 estimated where T2 might be located and set off on foot with his medic. They located the accident site at 0130.
The NTSB is engaged in a full and detailed investigation of the accident and a full report will be issued upon completion.
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