Lifemed Alaska, LLC - Non-injury incident

Date: 07/25/2009  ADT

Program: Lifemed Alaska, LLC
	6320 South Airpark Place
	Anchorage, AK 99502

Type: BK117-C1
Tail #: N159LM
Operator/Vendor: Air Methods Corporation

Weather: Cloudy, Not a factor

Team: Pilot, flight nurse, and flight paramedic. No injuries reported. Patient on board. 

Description: 
	The pilot attempted to start the left engine on aircraft runup for a
	medevac mission.  The start attempt was unsuccessfull and aborted. 
	The fireguard outside the aircraft observed flames in the left engine
	exhaust stack and was instructed by the pilot to extinguish the
	flames.  The flames were extinguished by spraying fire retardant in to
	the left engine exhaust stack.  Due to the corrosive nature of the
	fire retardant on internal engine components, the engine had to be
	replaced.  The patient was removed from the aircraft and taken back
	into the hospital.  A fixed wing aircraft was dispatched from another
	base and completed the flight without further incident.

Additional Info: 
	Upon engine replacement the aircraft was returned to service.

Source: Brooks Wall, Director of Program Operations

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