STATE POLICE INVESTIGATING HELICOPTER ENGINE MALFUNCTION

(CHURCHVILLE, MD) – Maryland State Police aviation maintenance technicians are investigating why one of two engines on a State Police helicopter malfunctioned and caught fire while the aircraft was landing at an accident scene in Harford County last night.

Shortly after 10:00 p.m. yesterday, fire and rescue personnel on the scene of a three car collision with multiple victims on Rt. 543 south of Wheel Road in Harford County requested medevac assistance from the Maryland State Police Aviation Command. Due to the number of victims possibly needing transport, two State Police helicopters were dispatched to the scene. They were Trooper One, stationed at Martin State Airport and Trooper Two, stationed at Andrews Air Force Base.

When Trooper One arrived on the scene, fire department personnel had established a landing zone in the yard of a residence near the accident scene. While Trooper One was initiating its landing approach, the crew felt a shudder in the aircraft that seemed to come from one of the engines and a caution light illuminated in the cockpit. The pilot immediately initiated precautionary procedures and continued to land the aircraft safely.

The pilot conducted a wheels-down, normal landing and began procedures to shut the aircraft down. The flight paramedic exited the aircraft and fire department personnel on the ground directed his attention to fire that could be seen inside one of the two engines. Fire extinguishers were used to put the fire out. The fire did not spread outside the engine compartment area.

The flight paramedic from the aircraft went to assess the condition of the victims in the crash. Three victims were already pronounced dead at the scene. The conditions of the two injured victims enabled them to be transported to a hospital by ambulance.

At that time, State Police helicopter Trooper Two was circling overhead and was available for medevac transport if needed. Air transport was not necessary and the crew of Trooper Two assisted investigators on the ground by illuminating the area and helping them to ensure no other victims had been ejected from the vehicles involved.

State Police Aviation Command officers and technicians responded to the scene and assessed the aircraft. The American Eurocopter Dauphin helicopter, delivered to the State Police in 1999, was loaded on a flatbed trailer and transported back to Aviation Command headquarters where it will be inspected. State Police Aviation Command officials immediately notified both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration of this incident.

At this time, there is no indication regarding why this malfunction occurred. One of the most significant benefits of a twin-engine helicopter is that if one of the engines fails, the pilot will be able to continue to safely operate the aircraft using the remaining engine.