Narrative:

While responding for a patient xfer approximately 12 mins into the flight, entire air crew heard a noise from front of aircraft. Not able to identify noise other than a 'possible bird strike,' we continued on to the hospital. Upon shutdown and egressing from the aircraft, it was discovered that we had lost the chime panel on the right side of the aircraft. No other damage was sustained to the aircraft. The aircraft had been preflted that morning and just prior to the flight a small APU door next to panel that was lost was closed by another crew member and he confirmed that the panel was indeed latched prior to liftoff. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a eurocopter SA365 operating as an air ambulance. The reporter said the forward lower fuselage access panel was hinged on the lower edge and was secured at the top edge with 4 spring loaded snap fasteners. The reporter stated this panel had been lost on other models of the eurocopter and believes the cause is the forward snap fastener fails from vibration and allows the forward vertical edge to enter the slipsteam and tear off the panel. The reporter stated the FAA has been made aware of this panel failure.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A EUROCOPTER SA365 IN CRUISE AT 2000 FT EXPERIENCED THE R FORWARD LOWER FUSELAGE PANEL DEPART THE ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE RESPONDING FOR A PATIENT XFER APPROX 12 MINS INTO THE FLT, ENTIRE AIR CREW HEARD A NOISE FROM FRONT OF ACFT. NOT ABLE TO IDENT NOISE OTHER THAN A 'POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE,' WE CONTINUED ON TO THE HOSPITAL. UPON SHUTDOWN AND EGRESSING FROM THE ACFT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD LOST THE CHIME PANEL ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE ACFT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN PREFLTED THAT MORNING AND JUST PRIOR TO THE FLT A SMALL APU DOOR NEXT TO PANEL THAT WAS LOST WAS CLOSED BY ANOTHER CREW MEMBER AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THE PANEL WAS INDEED LATCHED PRIOR TO LIFTOFF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A EUROCOPTER SA365 OPERATING AS AN AIR AMBULANCE. THE RPTR SAID THE FORWARD LOWER FUSELAGE ACCESS PANEL WAS HINGED ON THE LOWER EDGE AND WAS SECURED AT THE TOP EDGE WITH 4 SPRING LOADED SNAP FASTENERS. THE RPTR STATED THIS PANEL HAD BEEN LOST ON OTHER MODELS OF THE EUROCOPTER AND BELIEVES THE CAUSE IS THE FORWARD SNAP FASTENER FAILS FROM VIBRATION AND ALLOWS THE FORWARD VERT EDGE TO ENTER THE SLIPSTEAM AND TEAR OFF THE PANEL. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS PANEL FAILURE.

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.