Vibrations and a loud sound from the side of a bell 206 create the need for the pilot to perform a f...

Attributes
ACN	623890
Time
Date	200407
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Jet Ranger/Kiowa/206
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 64 flight time total : 2927.4 flight time type : 465.7
ASRS Report	623890
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Aircraft, a bell 206L, was flying a hospital-to-hospital patient xfer medical evacuate/evacuation flight. The aircraft was in the class B airspace under radar control at approximately 2000 ft MSL preparing for landing at ZZZ hospital. The aircraft started a 1-TO-1 lateral vibration and the PIC immediately initiated an in-flight flight controls check to assess the continued 'fly ability' of the aircraft. After completion of the flight controls check and a scan of all flight instruments it was determined that the pilot had full command authority/authorized in all axis of flight. The PIC made the decision to continue his approach to the hospital helipad. Shortly after this transpired the medical crew in the rear cabin area reported a 'loud pop' and at this time there was an immediate reassessment of aircraft controls and instruments. The results being full command authority/authorized in all flight axis and normal instrument indications but the loss of the lateral 1-TO-1 vibrations. Landing was completed to the hospital helipad without any further incident. Upon landing and the exit of the medical crew from the rear cabin area, they notified the pilot that the left side door of the engine cowling was no longer attached to the aircraft. The PIC completed a postflt inspection for any further damage. The result of the postflt inspection was only 2 scratches in the aircraft's paint job.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VIBRATIONS AND A LOUD SOUND FROM THE SIDE OF A BELL 206 CREATE THE NEED FOR THE PLT TO PERFORM A FLT CTL CHK PRIOR TO CONTINUING THE LNDG AT A HOSPITAL.

Narrative: ACFT, A BELL 206L, WAS FLYING A HOSPITAL-TO-HOSPITAL PATIENT XFER MEDICAL EVAC FLT. THE ACFT WAS IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE UNDER RADAR CTL AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL PREPARING FOR LNDG AT ZZZ HOSPITAL. THE ACFT STARTED A 1-TO-1 LATERAL VIBRATION AND THE PIC IMMEDIATELY INITIATED AN INFLT FLT CTLS CHK TO ASSESS THE CONTINUED 'FLY ABILITY' OF THE ACFT. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE FLT CTLS CHK AND A SCAN OF ALL FLT INSTS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PLT HAD FULL COMMAND AUTH IN ALL AXIS OF FLT. THE PIC MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE HIS APCH TO THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD. SHORTLY AFTER THIS TRANSPIRED THE MEDICAL CREW IN THE REAR CABIN AREA RPTED A 'LOUD POP' AND AT THIS TIME THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE REASSESSMENT OF ACFT CTLS AND INSTS. THE RESULTS BEING FULL COMMAND AUTH IN ALL FLT AXIS AND NORMAL INST INDICATIONS BUT THE LOSS OF THE LATERAL 1-TO-1 VIBRATIONS. LNDG WAS COMPLETED TO THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON LNDG AND THE EXIT OF THE MEDICAL CREW FROM THE REAR CABIN AREA, THEY NOTIFIED THE PLT THAT THE L SIDE DOOR OF THE ENG COWLING WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. THE PIC COMPLETED A POSTFLT INSPECTION FOR ANY FURTHER DAMAGE. THE RESULT OF THE POSTFLT INSPECTION WAS ONLY 2 SCRATCHES IN THE ACFT'S PAINT JOB.

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.

Vibrations and a loud sound from the side of a bell 206 create the need for the pilot to perform a flight control check prior to continuing the landing at a hospital.