Pilot of small transport EMS helicopter aircraft was forced to land en route to pick up patient due ...

Attributes
ACN	217611
Time
Date	199206
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 3700
ASRS Report	217611
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was dispatched to fly from ZZZ hospital to pick up a patient at hospital in location a. En route to location a I was at 8500 ft MSL 120 KIAS. I had just crossed a ridge and decided to descend to lessen the effect of the headwind. I established a rate of descent 300 to 500 FPM. I felt a sinking feeling, crosschecked the vsi and it was indicating 1200-1500 FPM. As I applied aft cyclic to slow the rate of descent, the nose pitched up at a fast rate to approximately 15-20 degrees nose up. I applied forward cyclic and reduced collective pitch. At the time of the nose pitching up the emergency locator transmitter activated. A beep tone was heard. I thought it was low rotor and applied forward cyclic and reduced collective pitch. As the aircraft leveled, I crosschecked the instruments and determined rotor RPM was within limits. The mast torque gauge was reading zero and fluctuated and indicated normally. I landed to reset emergency locator transmitter and found a life pack, (about a 15 pound piece of equipment) by the emergency locator transmitter and assumed the life pack set off the emergency locator transmitter. I felt there was no other damage and that the aircraft was safe to be operated normally. On the return flight the mast torque gauge fluctuated and failed prior to landing ZZZ hospital. The on call mechanic was called to repair the torque gauge and found the transmission had smashed a wire and contacted the mounts. To me it seems it was caused by the turbulence encounter and being too aggressive on the controls, i.e., hearing the emergency locator transmitter tone and reacting to low rotor. The area of the turbulence was 10 mi south of ZZZ and above 30 mi northwest of xyz. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: no additional comments concerning report during the EMS structured callback.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT EMS HELI ACFT WAS FORCED TO LAND ENRTE TO PICK UP PATIENT DUE TO SEVERE TURB AND EMER LOCATOR XMITTER ACTIVATING. IN ADDITION, THE PLT OVERREACTED TO THE FLT CTLS AND DAMAGED THE ROTOR CTL SYS.

Narrative: I WAS DISPATCHED TO FLY FROM ZZZ HOSPITAL TO PICK UP A PATIENT AT HOSPITAL IN LOCATION A. ENRTE TO LOCATION A I WAS AT 8500 FT MSL 120 KIAS. I HAD JUST CROSSED A RIDGE AND DECIDED TO DSND TO LESSEN THE EFFECT OF THE HEADWIND. I ESTABLISHED A RATE OF DSCNT 300 TO 500 FPM. I FELT A SINKING FEELING, XCHKED THE VSI AND IT WAS INDICATING 1200-1500 FPM. AS I APPLIED AFT CYCLIC TO SLOW THE RATE OF DSCNT, THE NOSE PITCHED UP AT A FAST RATE TO APPROX 15-20 DEGS NOSE UP. I APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC AND REDUCED COLLECTIVE PITCH. AT THE TIME OF THE NOSE PITCHING UP THE EMER LOCATOR XMITTER ACTIVATED. A BEEP TONE WAS HEARD. I THOUGHT IT WAS LOW ROTOR AND APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC AND REDUCED COLLECTIVE PITCH. AS THE ACFT LEVELED, I XCHKED THE INSTS AND DETERMINED ROTOR RPM WAS WITHIN LIMITS. THE MAST TORQUE GAUGE WAS READING ZERO AND FLUCTUATED AND INDICATED NORMALLY. I LANDED TO RESET EMER LOCATOR XMITTER AND FOUND A LIFE PACK, (ABOUT A 15 POUND PIECE OF EQUIP) BY THE EMER LOCATOR XMITTER AND ASSUMED THE LIFE PACK SET OFF THE EMER LOCATOR XMITTER. I FELT THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE AND THAT THE ACFT WAS SAFE TO BE OPERATED NORMALLY. ON THE RETURN FLT THE MAST TORQUE GAUGE FLUCTUATED AND FAILED PRIOR TO LNDG ZZZ HOSPITAL. THE ON CALL MECH WAS CALLED TO REPAIR THE TORQUE GAUGE AND FOUND THE XMISSION HAD SMASHED A WIRE AND CONTACTED THE MOUNTS. TO ME IT SEEMS IT WAS CAUSED BY THE TURB ENCOUNTER AND BEING TOO AGGRESSIVE ON THE CTLS, I.E., HEARING THE EMER LOCATOR XMITTER TONE AND REACTING TO LOW ROTOR. THE AREA OF THE TURB WAS 10 MI S OF ZZZ AND ABOVE 30 MI NW OF XYZ. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS CONCERNING RPT DURING THE EMS STRUCTURED CALLBACK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Pilot of small transport EMS helicopter aircraft was forced to land en route to pick up patient due to severe turbulence and emergency locator transmitter activating. In addition, the pilot overreacted to the flight controls and damaged the rotor control system.