STARS - Non-injury incident

Date: 21 March 2009 06:35 MDT

Program: STARS
	1441 Aviation Park NE, Box 570
	Calgary, Alberta 
	T2E 8M7
	

Type: BK 117
Tail #: C-GDGP

Weather: Clear. Not a factor

Team: 2 x Pilots, 1 x Flight Paramedic, 1 x Flight Nurse. No injuries reported. No patient. 

Description: 
	Enroute to a scene location to rvz with a ground Ambulance. 
	Approximately 5 minutes before ETA, a landing zone brief was requested
	with the responding Fire Department.  The initial LZ brief was lacking
	in detail; consequently, AMC (air medical crew) prompted the briefer
	for additional information, including:  Hazards, Blowing snow and
	loose impediments, Possible wire hazards, Wind direction.  According
	to the briefer, the wind was calm; there were no hazards and no wires.
	   
	
	Crew Approached from the east with an orbit of the LZ to verify the
	briefing.  The AMC were on ?hot mike? and were oriented to the landing
	zone in order to assist with the recce
	 and note any hazards.  The entire crew was talked through the
	downwind and approach.  
	
	A steeper than normal approach was flown due to the high light
	standards and fencing on the approach path.  The approach was also
	flown somewhat slower than normal as a precaution, with the fixed
	landing light and MASSEY lights on.
	
	On final approach, the Captain caught sight of wires directly in the
	approach path and immediately applied collective and cyclic to avoid
	the hazard.  The avoidance maneuver was successful and the mission was
	completed without further incident - Estimate is that aircraft missed
	the wires by approximately 1 foot.   
	  

Additional Info: 
	There were two strands of high tension wires on the approach, which
	were not briefed by the LZ officer nor seen during the recce orbit. 
	The angle of approach was such that the wires and the poles were
	somewhat obscured by the lights surrounding the compound and the
	lights from the emergency vehicles at the LZ.

Source: Scott Young, Operations Manager

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information with your program staff. If you have further questions, please
contact the CONCERN Coordinator, David Kearns at 800 525 3712 or email:
coordinator@concern-network.org.

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