Narrative:

The aircraft helicopter configured for EMS operations and crew (pilot, flight nurse, flight paramedic) were assigned an emergency medical flight from the base site at departure airport to departure hospital in ZZZ. We were assigned to pick up a cardiac patient and fly him from departure hospital to destination hospital, downtown ZZZ, us. The flight from departure airport to departure hospital departed at PM07 EDT and arrived at departure hospital at PM27, without incident. After landing, the aircraft was shut down and the crew departed for the hospital emergency room, carrying a stretcher, a large blue trauma bag and a smaller canvas bag (approximately 14 inches X 14 inches X 6 inches) with medical equipment inside. As the patient was loaded on the stretcher, I (the pilot) carried the blue bag and the canvas bag to the aircraft. Upon my arrival at the aircraft, I placed both bags under the tail boom, behind the right aft (clamshell) door and opened both clamshell doors. I then performed a preflight inspection (walk around check) of the aircraft and strapped into the right pilot's seat. As I was strapping in, the medical crew arrived and loaded the patient. The medical crew then cleared me to start engine #1. I performed the before engine start checks and started #1 engine. Shortly after the engine start, the medical crew indicated that they were secure in the cabin and that the helipad was clear for takeoff. I then started the #2 engine. After #2 was started, I advanced the power levers on both engines to the flight position and performed a before takeoff check and took off from the helipad over a wooded area. I received at radio call from our dispatch who requested that I have the medical crew call dispatch immediately. They returned to the aircraft after their phone call and informed me that the canvas bag was left on the left skid step and that shortly after takeoff, the bag fell from the aircraft into the wooded area adjacent to the hospital helipad. I believe that the incident occurred due to the intense distraction that the medical crew felt while treating a critically ill patient. The patient the medical crew was treating had had his heart stop twice and was revived twice in a very short time prior to our arrival. Although he was stable enough for air transport, there was an extreme potential of another heart failure. With that pressure on the medical crew, they apparently felt that they had secured all of their equipment, when in fact, with the distraction of the critically ill patient, they left the canvas bag on the skid step. The incident will be discussed at safety meetings and in safety memos to make crewmembers aware of the potential of a similar incident occurring to them and how to prevent it. During beginning of shift briefings, crew members will be briefed on accounting for all equipment that leaves the aircraft and checking on its location and security prior to takeoff. A walk around inspection be accomplished by a medical crewmember to check for any items left behind prior to takeoff. The PIC will ask the medical crewmembers if all equipment is accounted for and that the cabin is secure prior to takeoff. The canvas bag was recovered the next day a short distance from the helipad.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROTARY WINGED TFC PLT TELLS OF DROPPING AN OBJECT FROM HIS ACFT IN VIOLATION OF FARS.

Narrative: THE ACFT HELI CONFIGURED FOR EMS OPS AND CREW (PLT, FLT NURSE, FLT PARAMEDIC) WERE ASSIGNED AN EMER MEDICAL FLT FROM THE BASE SITE AT DEP ARPT TO DEP HOSPITAL IN ZZZ. WE WERE ASSIGNED TO PICK UP A CARDIAC PATIENT AND FLY HIM FROM DEP HOSPITAL TO DEST HOSPITAL, DOWNTOWN ZZZ, US. THE FLT FROM DEP ARPT TO DEP HOSPITAL DEPARTED AT PM07 EDT AND ARRIVED AT DEP HOSPITAL AT PM27, WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG, THE ACFT WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE CREW DEPARTED FOR THE HOSPITAL EMER ROOM, CARRYING A STRETCHER, A LARGE BLUE TRAUMA BAG AND A SMALLER CANVAS BAG (APPROX 14 INCHES X 14 INCHES X 6 INCHES) WITH MEDICAL EQUIP INSIDE. AS THE PATIENT WAS LOADED ON THE STRETCHER, I (THE PLT) CARRIED THE BLUE BAG AND THE CANVAS BAG TO THE ACFT. UPON MY ARR AT THE ACFT, I PLACED BOTH BAGS UNDER THE TAIL BOOM, BEHIND THE R AFT (CLAMSHELL) DOOR AND OPENED BOTH CLAMSHELL DOORS. I THEN PERFORMED A PREFLT INSPECTION (WALK AROUND CHK) OF THE ACFT AND STRAPPED INTO THE R PLT'S SEAT. AS I WAS STRAPPING IN, THE MEDICAL CREW ARRIVED AND LOADED THE PATIENT. THE MEDICAL CREW THEN CLRED ME TO START ENG #1. I PERFORMED THE BEFORE ENG START CHKS AND STARTED #1 ENG. SHORTLY AFTER THE ENG START, THE MEDICAL CREW INDICATED THAT THEY WERE SECURE IN THE CABIN AND THAT THE HELIPAD WAS CLR FOR TKOF. I THEN STARTED THE #2 ENG. AFTER #2 WAS STARTED, I ADVANCED THE PWR LEVERS ON BOTH ENGS TO THE FLT POS AND PERFORMED A BEFORE TKOF CHK AND TOOK OFF FROM THE HELIPAD OVER A WOODED AREA. I RECEIVED AT RADIO CALL FROM OUR DISPATCH WHO REQUESTED THAT I HAVE THE MEDICAL CREW CALL DISPATCH IMMEDIATELY. THEY RETURNED TO THE ACFT AFTER THEIR PHONE CALL AND INFORMED ME THAT THE CANVAS BAG WAS LEFT ON THE L SKID STEP AND THAT SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, THE BAG FELL FROM THE ACFT INTO THE WOODED AREA ADJACENT TO THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD. I BELIEVE THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DUE TO THE INTENSE DISTRACTION THAT THE MEDICAL CREW FELT WHILE TREATING A CRITICALLY ILL PATIENT. THE PATIENT THE MEDICAL CREW WAS TREATING HAD HAD HIS HEART STOP TWICE AND WAS REVIVED TWICE IN A VERY SHORT TIME PRIOR TO OUR ARR. ALTHOUGH HE WAS STABLE ENOUGH FOR AIR TRANSPORT, THERE WAS AN EXTREME POTENTIAL OF ANOTHER HEART FAILURE. WITH THAT PRESSURE ON THE MEDICAL CREW, THEY APPARENTLY FELT THAT THEY HAD SECURED ALL OF THEIR EQUIP, WHEN IN FACT, WITH THE DISTR OF THE CRITICALLY ILL PATIENT, THEY LEFT THE CANVAS BAG ON THE SKID STEP. THE INCIDENT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT SAFETY MEETINGS AND IN SAFETY MEMOS TO MAKE CREWMEMBERS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL OF A SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCURRING TO THEM AND HOW TO PREVENT IT. DURING BEGINNING OF SHIFT BRIEFINGS, CREW MEMBERS WILL BE BRIEFED ON ACCOUNTING FOR ALL EQUIP THAT LEAVES THE ACFT AND CHKING ON ITS LOCATION AND SECURITY PRIOR TO TKOF. A WALK AROUND INSPECTION BE ACCOMPLISHED BY A MEDICAL CREWMEMBER TO CHK FOR ANY ITEMS LEFT BEHIND PRIOR TO TKOF. THE PIC WILL ASK THE MEDICAL CREWMEMBERS IF ALL EQUIP IS ACCOUNTED FOR AND THAT THE CABIN IS SECURE PRIOR TO TKOF. THE CANVAS BAG WAS RECOVERED THE NEXT DAY A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE HELIPAD.

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.