ALBANY MED FLIGHT - Non-injury incident

DATE		12/26/02 1400  EST

PROGRAM		ALBANY MED FLIGHT

VENDOR		ROCKY MOUNTAIN HELICOPTERS

ADDRESS
		387 MYRTLE AV
		ALBANY, NY 12208

WEATHER		WINDY

AIRCRAFT_TYPE	BK 117 A4

TAIL#		N951 AM

TEAM		PILOT, FN, FP. No injuries reported. No patient. 

DESCRIPTION	CREW WAS DISPATCHED FOR AN INTERHOSPITAL TRANSFER. 
		 THE CREW BOARDED THE HELICOPTER AND THE PILOT 
		BEGAN TO START THE NUMBER 1 ENGINE.  AS THE MAIN 
		ROTOR BLADES BEGAN TO TURN, ONE OF THE BLADES 
		FLEXED DOWNWARD AND STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM.  THE 
		BLADE SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN ROTOR HUB AND THE 
		START WAS ABORTED.  THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE 
		VERTICAL STABILIZERS, TAILBOOM AND BLADES.  NO 
		DEBRIS DEPARTED THE ROOF-TOP HELIPAD AND THERE 
		WERE NO INJURIES 

ADDITIONAL INFO	WINDS WERE NORTHWEST AT 19 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 26 
		KNOTS, PARTLY CLOUDY.  CAUSE IS SUSPECTED TO BE 
		WIND RELATED BUT IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED. 

SOURCE		TINA GLANGRASSO, PROGRAM DIRECTOR

VIA		Roseanne Krantz, CONCERN

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The CONCERN network shares verified information to alert medical
transport programs when an accident / incident has occurred.
Please share the above information with your program staff. If
you have further questions, please contact the CONCERN Coordinator,
Roseann Krantz @ 1-800-75-SHOCK or rjkrantz@aol.com.