https://www.wbrc.com/2023/04/02/helicopter-crashes-near-highway-280/

AMC

LifeSaver 4 EC130 AC

https://www.al.com/news/2023/04/medical-helicopter-crashes-in-shelby-county.html

interesting flight path

Tail number?

N231SH

 I don't know anything about EC 145's is the damage from an inflight fire? What's left of the blades don't seem charred. Fligh path sure looks like someone looking for a landing spot.

It's an ec130

Skids dont appear to be spread. Dynamic roll over?

Yes, another fatal.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N231SH

Post crash fuel fire would have consumed the hull.  This is thermal damage from a hot engine contacting the hull.

looks like the fire was around the engine.

Yes, obviously the Rupture Resistant Fuel System worked as designed. Second, it is designed for a vertical impact. Looks like the skids are in tact.

Kinda wonder if it was on fire while in the air.

If anyone. Has an inflight Problem, and your not over water, or dense jungle.....LAND. Unless if it's a catastrophic uncontrollable issue, Figure it out on the ground. Look at that flight path....they were in the air long enough to have just landed instead. They wernt at some crazy high altitude, and looking at google earth of that spot, there were plenty of options to land.

this is a problem with alot of pilots. They focus too heavily on the "emergency" and forget the most simple option. If able....LAND before it's too late. 

they could have been looking for the LZ and not having any problems

"Unless if it's a catastrophic uncontrollable issue, Figure it out on the ground." wut?

yeah, figure that one out in the air lol 

Patient they were responding to died as well

If you actually look at the flight path you can see he turned directly toward the intersection of the only roads near. 

...penetrate the cabin roof?  Looking at the skids and underbelly, it doesn't appear to have hit too hard, but the greenhouse over the CP side is missing, and those blades clearly impacted something while under powered flight.

...dynamic rollover.  With catastrophic results.

Dark confined area, NVG approach, ground resonance and dynamic roll.

Accident was 5:21pm CST... Reporting sunset for the Birmingham area for April 2nd, 2023 is 7:09pm... so I would say he still had sufficient ambient lighting from even a setting sun... just my guess.

Commercial, Instrument, Helicopter Pilot. Army Instructor Pilot, civilian Training Captain and Check Airman. 33 years experience, approximately 9200 hours total time (all helicopter) flying in all terrain and locations. Aviation Safety and OSHA safety experience.

Embry Riddle/LSU grad with a BS in safety systems. flying EMS since 2003 with various roles to include lead pilot, check airman and training captain with multiple companies. 

I don't know the guy but looking at his resume I'd say a great deal of knowledge and experience was lost here. 

I'm wondering time in type too. All of the photos of "lifesaver 4" are a 407, including Facebook photos as recent as February. 

Very high time pilot.  At least 20 years Army as Cobra/Apache guy.  Another 20 doing all kinds of things but mostly HAA.  Mostly 407 (maybe some A-Star).  Amazing guy.  VERY safe guy.  Very respected as an aviator.  Volunteer Firefighter (I think the chief for a number of years).

Huge loss for aviation and the Sylacauga community.

You just have to wait for it .. too early for all the speculation .. LZ Fire we're in contact and had visual for most of it. 

They transitioned into the EC130t2 around a month ago From a 407. Was in 407 since 2012. Before that a 206L3. 

He had been flying the 407 for 25 years. 

The 407 was rolled out about 28 years ago.... don’t think he was flying them in the 4th year of production ....    but he was an experienced pilot...  HAA flying is straight forward... don’t think the airframe is the issue here... curious to see what the survivor has to say...

A crewmember just posted on media, that pilot was so good, he would take flights the other pilots wouldn't 😔

I worked with him, he followed the rules and would accept dispatch if, repeat IF the weather met minimums and he could reasonably expect that to continue, whereas some pilots woud decline if weather was near minimums. I have no memory of him ever pushing minimmums in the few years I knew and worked with him. I would fly as his passenger any time and I'm a very particular pilot/pax.

I don't see weather mentioned as a factor in this- have you heard something?

I was unhappy when he left our base to be near his home place (We swapped terms as lead pilots at the base...) but I couldn't blame him- that's one of the biggest reasons pilots fly medevac- be home every day instead of living out of a bag. 

https://www.al.com/news/2023/04/alabama-medical-helicopter-pilot-killed-in-crash-was-devoted-to-saving-lives-and-making-a-difference.html

A crewmember just posted on media, that pilot was so good, he would take flights the other pilots wouldn't 😔

I worked with him, he followed the rules and would accept dispatch if, repeat IF the weather met minimums and he could reasonably expect that to continue, whereas some pilots woud decline if weather was near minimums. I have no memory of him ever pushing minimmums in the few years I knew and worked with him. I would fly as his passenger any time and I'm a very particular pilot/pax.

I don't see weather mentioned as a factor in this- have you heard something?

I was unhappy when he left our base to be near his home place (We swapped terms as lead pilots at the base...) but I couldn't blame him- that's one of the biggest reasons pilots fly medevac- be home every day instead of living out of a bag. 

Possible Uncommanded Left Yaw?   Heavy, slow, left turn (unknown winds), can stall out Fenestron.  Can catch you off guard.  If you dont catch it quick, you are going to spin fast.  Don't know if that was the issue, but the set up is there.

Loss of tail rotor effectiveness due to vortex ring state. One could say tail rotor stall for the simple minded JH reader. 

I have noticed that in my past 20 years of civilian flying that it is refered to as LTE, in my prior 20 years in the USCG flying HH-65s we refered to it as ULY (uncommanded Left yaw).  Funny how the FAA also makes use of the term Uncommanded yaw.   Thank you for your kind "Moron" statement,  you are not the first.

Weather report for Sunday April 2nd, 2023... looks fairly calm all around...

a dedicated and conscientious pilot.  Never liked the EC135 but the AS365N2 was loads of fun.  Fenestron flying required more care, slower and gentler pedal work than conventional tail rotors (duh).  Beyond that no clue what may have occurred.  Sad stuff.

135 far superior than 130: stability,controllability,fenestron authority: 2k in 135,400 in 130 😔

No interest in 130 either.

good to know we'll make note of it anything else

Wire Strike