"I Disengaged The Autopilot, My Right Arm Fell To My Side..."

As NTSB Prelims go, this one is a little on the unusual side... and could have gone a lot worse than circumstances permitted. However; a medical helo flight went awry when its pilot suffered a scenario in which he suddenly lost the use of his right arm. The Part 135 flight executed an emergency landing at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station with a medical crewmember providing control assistance under the instructions of the stricken pilot. The helo sustained significant damage in the run-on landing, but all three crew members emerged unscathed. It sounds like the pilot used his head when his body failed him... and we wish him a speedy recovery and return to flight status...

NTSB Identification: ERA11LA106
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Wednesday, December 29, 2010 in Cherry Point, NC
Aircraft: EUROCOPTER MBB-BK, registration: N854EC
Injuries: 3 Uninjured.

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 December 29, 2010, at 0223 eastern standard time, a Eurocopter BK117-C2, N854EC, operated by Air Methods Corporation, performed an emergency landing at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station (Cunningham Field) (NKT), Cherry Point, North Carolina, after the pilot became partially incapacitated. The helicopter departed from Pitt County Memorial Hospital Heliport (NC91), Greenville, North Carolina at 0135 and was enroute to Carteret General Hospital, Morehead City, North Carolina. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The certificated airline transport pilot suffered a medical incapacitation and the two medical flight crewmembers were not injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135.

According to an interview provided to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot reported that they were "about two-thousand feet and about three to four minutes out" from the destination. He was flying the helicopter utilizing the autopilot and shortly after "I disengaged the autopilot, my right arm fell to my side." He informed his medical flight crewmembers and the Cherry Point Air Traffic Controller and declared an emergency. He further requested to land at NKT and the Air Traffic Controller provided radar vectors. A medical crewmember seated in the left front seat manipulated the collective control with the pilot's instructions and the pilot manipulated the cyclic control with his left hand. The pilot elected to make a run on landing and upon contact with the runway the helicopter became airborne again, and then touched down again.

After the accident the helicopter was transported to American Eurocopter in Texas, were it was further inspected. According to American Eurocopter, there was buckling of the exterior skin and horizontal deck above the clam shell doors, buckling on the right hand side lower section of the slant frame, 26 of the 41 tail boom mating ring mount bolts were loose, the aft cross tube was severely bent, the forward cross tube spread, the right-hand skid tube was bent, and the left-hand skid tube was worn beyond limits.

According to photographs provided by an FAA inspector that responded to accident location the helicopter came to rest on the runway approximately 4,000 feet from the approach end of runway 14L. The helicopter's right vertical stabilizer was scraped along the bottom edge.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov