Steel extension bar fell off of EMS helicopter sometime after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	145491
Time
Date	199005
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 2400
ASRS Report	145491
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During the unloading of an EMS helicopter a 2 1/2' steel extension bar was placed on a skid cross-member. With the medical team dispatched to the hospital, I departed the pad to refuel at a nearby airport with a vertical climb to 200' AGL. After arriving back at the pad, the absence of the steel bar was discovered. A ground search did not reveal its whereabouts. The replacement bar has been candy-striped with luminous tape and day-glow orange paint to provide better contrast than the previous one, which was black (on a black cross-member). I have also added the skid area to my pretkof walkaround.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STEEL EXTENSION BAR FELL OFF OF EMS HELICOPTER SOMETIME AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: DURING THE UNLOADING OF AN EMS HELI A 2 1/2' STEEL EXTENSION BAR WAS PLACED ON A SKID CROSS-MEMBER. WITH THE MEDICAL TEAM DISPATCHED TO THE HOSPITAL, I DEPARTED THE PAD TO REFUEL AT A NEARBY ARPT WITH A VERT CLB TO 200' AGL. AFTER ARRIVING BACK AT THE PAD, THE ABSENCE OF THE STEEL BAR WAS DISCOVERED. A GND SEARCH DID NOT REVEAL ITS WHEREABOUTS. THE REPLACEMENT BAR HAS BEEN CANDY-STRIPED WITH LUMINOUS TAPE AND DAY-GLOW ORANGE PAINT TO PROVIDE BETTER CONTRAST THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE, WHICH WAS BLACK (ON A BLACK CROSS-MEMBER). I HAVE ALSO ADDED THE SKID AREA TO MY PRETKOF WALKAROUND.

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.