Airlift Northwest - Non-injury incident

Date: 11/13/2007 0604 

Program: Airlift Northwest
	6987 Perimeter Road South Suite 110
	Seattle, WA. 98108

Type: Augusta 109E
Tail #: N1UW
Operator/Vendor: CJ Systems Aviation Group

Weather: Clear. Not a factor

Team: Pilot, Flight Nurse, Flight Nurse. No injuries reported. No patient. 

Description: 
	At 06:04 on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 the Airlift Northwest
	Communications Center received a mayday call from the Airlift 6 pilot.
	 The aircraft, an Agusta 109E based in Arlington, Washington, had been
	dispatched to pick up a patient at Jefferson Community Health in Port
	Townsend, Washington.  The crew of one pilot and two flight nurses
	were on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.  No patient
	was on board.
	
	The pilot made mayday calls to both approach control and Airlift
	Northwest during his emergency decent.  At 06:06 Airlift Northwest
	Communications Center received a phone call from the pilot saying that
	the aircraft and crew were safely on the ground.
	
	The pilot made an emergency landing in a field near Stanwood,
	Washington, approximately 6 miles west of US Interstate 5.  Due to the
	extreme vibration in the flight controls, the pilot did not remove his
	hand from the collective to actuate the landing gear selector and
	landed gear up without further incident.  A rotor blade tip cap
	partially failed which caused the extreme vibration.  An investigation
	into the cause of the failure has been initiated by the NTSB.  The
	operator has implemented an expanded maintenance check of similar
	Agusta rotor blades corporate wide.
	
	Airlift Northwest conducted an organization wide safety stand down
	starting at 08:30 until 16:00 hours on November 13th.  One rotary wing
	aircraft and two fixed wing aircraft based in Alaska and Washington
	continued to be available during the stand down.  Hospitals, other
	requesting agencies throughout the region, and other air medical
	programs were notified of the planned stand down.  CISM personnel were
	available throughout the day and for a special CISD session held on
	Thursday, November 15th.
	
	
	

Source: Jeff Richey RN CEN, Regional Manager

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Copyright 2007 ASTNA