Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH EC 135 accident near Mount Vernon, Illinois, July 20, 2022
On July 20, 2022 at about 1:41 am local time, a 2010 Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH EC 135 (helicopter), registered N228MT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Mount Vernon, Illinois (Mount Vernon airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate securement of the cloth fire extinguisher cover, which resulted in it being blown off the fire extinguisher and ingested into the helicopter’s fenestron during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2022 · about 1:41 am local time
- Place
- Mount Vernon, Illinois · Mount Vernon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH EC 135 P2+, built 2010
- Registration
- N228MT · registry record · serial 0908
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing, the pilot lowered the helicopter air ambulance down to the concrete pad. Shortly before touchdown, a cloth fire extinguisher cover from a nearby mobile fueling unit was blown airborne from the main rotor system wash. The cloth fire extinguisher cover was ingested into the tail rotor (the fenestron). During the cloth fire extinguisher cover ingestion sequence, the fenestron hub flexed, the metal fenestron hub cover detached, and it was also ingested. The pilot was able to land the helicopter without further incident. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fenestron. The evidence indicated that the ingestion of the metal fenestron hub cover contributed to the severity of the damage sustained. The operator reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and the engines that would have precluded normal operation. The investigation revealed that the cloth fire extinguisher cover, which did not have a lanyard installed, was not secured with the retention bracket for the fire extinguisher on the mobile fueling unit. The operator additionally reported that foreign object debris checks are conducted by crew members anytime they are on the pad and that the mobile fueling unit is inspected during the daily fuel quality check. The Accident Investigation Board Norway along with the European Aviation Safety Agency, previously issued a formal safety recommendation to Eurocopter (Airbus) regarding the securement of the metal fenestron hub cover.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing
- Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction during landing
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing
- Airport occurrence during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor › (general) › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor › (general) › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,210.5 hours in all; 2,671.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 2, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,271.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 12, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 6,415 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2 (turboshaft); 1,283 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2 (turboshaft); 1,283 hours total
- Operator: Air Evac Lifeteam
The flight
- Departed from: CPS Cahokia IL at 1:02 am
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KMVN
Weather report (METAR): KMVN 200056Z AUTO 17004KT 10SM CLR 29/23 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP095 T02890228
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 22, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Sequence Video Footage (Courtesy of the Operator) | video | View Download |
| 4 | Additional Documents | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.