ACCIDENT SYNOPSIS:
On June 29, 2008, at 1547 Mountain Standard Time, a Bell 407 emergency medical service (EMS) helicopter, N407GA, and a Bell 407 EMS helicopter, N407MJ, collided in mid air while approaching the Flagstaff Medical Center helipad (3AZ0), Flagstaff, Arizona. Both helicopters were destroyed. N407GA's commercial pilot, flight nurse, and patient sustained fatal injuries; and N407MJ's commercial pilot, flight paramedic, flight nurse, and patient sustained fatal injuries. N407GA was operated by Air Methods Corp., Englewood, Colorado, and registered to Flagstaff Medical Center, Flagstaff, Arizona. N407MJ was operated by Classic Helicopter Services, Page, Arizona, and registered to M&J Leisure, L.L.C., Ogden, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight plans were filed for each of the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air medical flights. N407GA's flight departed the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG), Flagstaff, at 1544, and N407MJ's flight departed the Grand Canyon National Park Service South Rim helibase, Tusayan, Arizona, at 1517.
At 1516, the pilot of N407GA, call sign Angel 1, contacted Guardian Air dispatch at FLG and reported that they were departing Winslow, Arizona, with four people on board; the pilot, the two flight nurses and the patient. The pilot stated that his estimated time en route was 25 minutes and he was either going to land at FLG or proceed directly to the Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) helipad. The pilot was not sure if he would be at the proper weight to land with enough power margin to execute an out of ground effect hover on the rooftop helipad. At 1519, the Guardian Air dispatch transportation coordinator contacted FMC and reported that Angel 1 was inbound to the helipad in approximately 23 minutes.
At 1519, the pilot of N407MJ, call sign Lifeguard 2, contacted their communications center and reported that they had departed the south rim of the Grand Canyon and were en route to FMC with an estimated time en route of 32 minutes, and four people on board; the pilot, the flight nurse, the flight paramedic, and the patient. About a minute later, the pilot of Angel 1 called Guardian Air dispatch and reported that they were going to "drop one" at FLG before proceeding to land at Flagstaff Medical Center.
At 1523, the dispatcher on duty at Classic Helicopter Service contacted Guardian Air dispatch and reported that Lifeguard 2 was en route to FMC and would be arriving from the north. The dispatcher also reported that it would be a "cold drop," and the emergency department at the hospital had already been notified. The Guardian Air dispatch transportation coordinator then informed the Classic dispatcher that Angel 1 was also en route and would be landing at Flagstaff Medical Center in 20 minutes.
At the end of that call, the Guardian Air dispatch transportation coordinator called FMC and stated that Lifeguard 2 would also be landing at the hospital in "about twenty-eight minutes...and they know about mine coming in." The person who answered the phone in the emergency department responded, "all right." The transport coordinator then contacted the pilot of Angel 1 and informed him that Lifeguard 2 would also be landing at Flagstaff Medical Center in approximately 28 minutes. The pilot responded, "Roger will be looking for 'em thanks."
At 1532, the pilot of Lifeguard 2 contacted the Classic Helicopter Service communication center, provided a position report and said that they were 15 minutes from landing at FMC. The dispatcher on duty responded, "comm center copies all sir...I'll talk to you on the ground in fifteen minutes, 1532." This was the last recorded communication with the pilot of N407MJ.
Also at 1532, the pilot of Angel 1 contacted Guardian Air dispatch and reported that they were 10 minutes from landing at FLG. At 1544, the pilot of Angel 1 contacted Guardian Air dispatch and stated, "control Angel 1 if you haven't figured it out we've uh landed at the...airport departed and we're about two minutes out of the hospital." The transportation coordinator responded and copied the transmission. This was the last recorded communication with the pilot of N407GA.
There were no recorded communications between the pilots of the two helicopters.
A review of the recorded transmissions made between both medical crews and the hospital revealed that both of the medical crews contacted the emergency department at FMC and provided medical reports on their respective patients. At the time Angel 1 contacted the hospital, they provided an estimated time of arrival in 15 minutes. The Classic Helicopter Services medical crew reported an estimated time of arrival of 18 minutes. The hospital staff that received the phone calls from both aircraft did not provide any information about the other helicopter that was also en route to the Flagstaff Medical Center helipad.
Several people witnessed the collision of the helicopters as they approached the hospital helipad and reported seeing both helicopters descending into wooded terrain about 1/4 mile from the heliport. There was a small fire noted rising from the hilly terrain, followed by a loud explosion shortly after the collision.
A surveillance camera, mounted on a parking garage at the hospital, captured the collision on digital video. The video depicted one helicopter approaching from north and one helicopter approaching from the south, and shows both aircraft descending after the collision. The video was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders laboratory, Washington, DC, for further examination.
The accident site was located in a partially wooded, rocky mesa, approximately 1/4 mile east of the FMC helipad at an elevation of 7,060 feet mean sea level. N407GA's main wreckage was located on the top of the mesa in a rocky, grass terrain; and N407MJ's main wreckage was located in wooden terrain. The main wreckages of both helicopters came to rest approximately 300 feet apart from each other. The debris area, approximately 1/4 mile in diameter, contained fragmented sections of main rotor blades, plexiglass, and fiberglass. N407GA was partially consumed by post-impact fire and N407MJ did not have a post-impact fire. N407GA experienced a secondary post-impact explosion approximately 3 minutes after the accident. Three first responders sustained minor injuries during the explosion.
At the time of the accident, the weather was reported as partly cloudy and winds were light and variable.
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HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
**UPDATE** During a visit to the crash site in April 2009, I located an intact media card from a digital camera. The photographic contents of the card appear to be the property of an a victim involved in the collision. The card has been returned. More to follow later.
On June 29, 2008, at 1547 Mountain Standard Time, a Bell 407 emergency medical service (EMS) helicopter, N407GA, and a Bell 407 EMS helicopter, N407MJ, collided in mid air while approaching the Flagstaff Medical Center helipad (3AZ0), Flagstaff, Arizona. Both helicopters were destroyed. N407GA's commercial pilot, flight nurse, and patient sustained fatal injuries; and N407MJ's commercial pilot, flight paramedic, flight nurse, and patient sustained fatal injuries. N407GA was operated by Air Methods Corp., Englewood, Colorado, and registered to Flagstaff Medical Center, Flagstaff, Arizona. N407MJ was operated by Classic Helicopter Services, Page, Arizona, and registered to M&J Leisure, L.L.C., Ogden, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight plans were filed for each of the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air medical flights. N407GA's flight departed the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG), Flagstaff, at 1544, and N407MJ's flight departed the Grand Canyon National Park Service South Rim helibase, Tusayan, Arizona, at 1517.
At 1516, the pilot of N407GA, call sign Angel 1, contacted Guardian Air dispatch at FLG and reported that they were departing Winslow, Arizona, with four people on board; the pilot, the two flight nurses and the patient. The pilot stated that his estimated time en route was 25 minutes and he was either going to land at FLG or proceed directly to the Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) helipad. The pilot was not sure if he would be at the proper weight to land with enough power margin to execute an out of ground effect hover on the rooftop helipad. At 1519, the Guardian Air dispatch transportation coordinator contacted FMC and reported that Angel 1 was inbound to the helipad in approximately 23 minutes.
At 1519, the pilot of N407MJ, call sign Lifeguard 2, contacted their communications center and reported that they had departed the south rim of the Grand Canyon and were en route to FMC with an estimated time en route of 32 minutes, and four people on board; the pilot, the flight nurse, the flight paramedic, and the patient. About a minute later, the pilot of Angel 1 called Guardian Air dispatch and reported that they were going to "drop one" at FLG before proceeding to land at Flagstaff Medical Center.
At 1523, the dispatcher on duty at Classic Helicopter Service contacted Guardian Air dispatch and reported that Lifeguard 2 was en route to FMC and would be arriving from the north. The dispatcher also reported that it would be a "cold drop," and the emergency department at the hospital had already been notified. The Guardian Air dispatch transportation coordinator then informed the Classic dispatcher that Angel 1 was also en route and would be landing at Flagstaff Medical Center in 20 minutes.
At the end of that call, the Guardian Air dispatch transportation coordinator called FMC and stated that Lifeguard 2 would also be landing at the hospital in "about twenty-eight minutes...and they know about mine coming in." The person who answered the phone in the emergency department responded, "all right." The transport coordinator then contacted the pilot of Angel 1 and informed him that Lifeguard 2 would also be landing at Flagstaff Medical Center in approximately 28 minutes. The pilot responded, "Roger will be looking for 'em thanks."
At 1532, the pilot of Lifeguard 2 contacted the Classic Helicopter Service communication center, provided a position report and said that they were 15 minutes from landing at FMC. The dispatcher on duty responded, "comm center copies all sir...I'll talk to you on the ground in fifteen minutes, 1532." This was the last recorded communication with the pilot of N407MJ.
Also at 1532, the pilot of Angel 1 contacted Guardian Air dispatch and reported that they were 10 minutes from landing at FLG. At 1544, the pilot of Angel 1 contacted Guardian Air dispatch and stated, "control Angel 1 if you haven't figured it out we've uh landed at the...airport departed and we're about two minutes out of the hospital." The transportation coordinator responded and copied the transmission. This was the last recorded communication with the pilot of N407GA.
There were no recorded communications between the pilots of the two helicopters.
A review of the recorded transmissions made between both medical crews and the hospital revealed that both of the medical crews contacted the emergency department at FMC and provided medical reports on their respective patients. At the time Angel 1 contacted the hospital, they provided an estimated time of arrival in 15 minutes. The Classic Helicopter Services medical crew reported an estimated time of arrival of 18 minutes. The hospital staff that received the phone calls from both aircraft did not provide any information about the other helicopter that was also en route to the Flagstaff Medical Center helipad.
Several people witnessed the collision of the helicopters as they approached the hospital helipad and reported seeing both helicopters descending into wooded terrain about 1/4 mile from the heliport. There was a small fire noted rising from the hilly terrain, followed by a loud explosion shortly after the collision.
A surveillance camera, mounted on a parking garage at the hospital, captured the collision on digital video. The video depicted one helicopter approaching from north and one helicopter approaching from the south, and shows both aircraft descending after the collision. The video was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders laboratory, Washington, DC, for further examination.
The accident site was located in a partially wooded, rocky mesa, approximately 1/4 mile east of the FMC helipad at an elevation of 7,060 feet mean sea level. N407GA's main wreckage was located on the top of the mesa in a rocky, grass terrain; and N407MJ's main wreckage was located in wooden terrain. The main wreckages of both helicopters came to rest approximately 300 feet apart from each other. The debris area, approximately 1/4 mile in diameter, contained fragmented sections of main rotor blades, plexiglass, and fiberglass. N407GA was partially consumed by post-impact fire and N407MJ did not have a post-impact fire. N407GA experienced a secondary post-impact explosion approximately 3 minutes after the accident. Three first responders sustained minor injuries during the explosion.
At the time of the accident, the weather was reported as partly cloudy and winds were light and variable.
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HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
**UPDATE** During a visit to the crash site in April 2009, I located an intact media card from a digital camera. The photographic contents of the card appear to be the property of an a victim involved in the collision. The card has been returned. More to follow later.
N407GA, Call sign: "Angel 1" was a Bell/Textron Model 407 Helicopter that was based in Flagstaff, Arizona.
N407GA made numerous flights between Flagstaff and Phoenix saving many lives.
"Angel 1", N407GA seen here on a medi-vac flight below Grandview Point in the Grand Canyon. This photo alone illustrates the value of air ambulance operations.
"Angel 1" was enroute to Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) from Winslow via Flagstaff's Pulliam Airport with a patient when the collision occurred. (Credit Helicopterphotos.net)
N407MJ operated by Classic Lifeguard was also a Bell/Textron Model 407 Helicopter enroute to the Flagstaff Medical Center with call sign "Lifeguard 2". It was transporting a patient from the NPS Heli-Base on the Grand Canyon's south rim.
N407MJ seen here transporting a patient from Monument Valley on the Navaho Indian Reservation. The Page, AZ based helicopter was often used in rural communities.
N407MJ was one of two medical helicopters operated by Classic Lifeguard of Page, AZ. The other was N407MH, also a Bell 407.
The news media's map of the accident area. The mesa that the collision took place over was McMillan Mesa not Switzer Mesa. (CNN Credit)
Flagstaff firefighters work to put out a blaze shortly after two medical helicopters collided Sunday, June 29, 2008, about a half-mile from east of Flagstaff Medical Center. The Flagstaff Medical Center is seen in the background. (AP Photo/Flagstaff Police Department)
A column of dense smoke rises from the Guardian Air helicopter crash site.
The crash and secondary explosion from the Guardian Air helicopter ignited a 10 acre brush fire which burned south and east across the mesa.
(John Layshock/Arizona Daily Sun)
The crash and secondary explosion from the Guardian Air helicopter ignited a 10 acre brush fire which burned south and east across the mesa.
(John Layshock/Arizona Daily Sun)
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