Narrative:

While en route from an outlying hospital to the home base hospital, a loud 'bang' was heard by myself and the medical crew. I radioed the hospital and state radio to inform them of the precautionary landing. The small aircraft helicopter was landed and shut down. The controls felt normal during the approach and touchdown. I found that the left cowling door had separated. The only other damage was a small dent and a scratch on left side of fuselage. I decided to fly the helicopter back at a reduced airspeed to the home base hospital which was 31 mi away. The decision was based on the following: I determined it was safe to fly. I was unable to reach anyone at my company to help with the decision. The day WX was clear. We had a critical patient on board. (The patient expired 2 hours after arrival at the hospital). The controls had felt normal and the helicopter flew smoothly during the entire incident. I flew the helicopter back to the home base hospital where the patient and medical crew were dropped off. I then flew the helicopter to the company headquarters which is located on the airport about 2 mi from the hospital. After considering all of the options such as time for ground ambulance dispatch and arrival, patient time away from hospital environment and helicopter condition, I decided to continue the flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the FAA did a follow-up investigation and a cowling latch failure was determined to be the cause of the incident and the pilot performed satisfactorily.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMS PLT ON AN EMER MISSION LOST PART OF HIS COWLING IN FLT. HE LANDED, INSPECTED HIS ACFT, AND CONTINUED HIS MISSION.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM AN OUTLYING HOSPITAL TO THE HOME BASE HOSPITAL, A LOUD 'BANG' WAS HEARD BY MYSELF AND THE MEDICAL CREW. I RADIOED THE HOSPITAL AND STATE RADIO TO INFORM THEM OF THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. THE SMA HELI WAS LANDED AND SHUT DOWN. THE CTLS FELT NORMAL DURING THE APCH AND TOUCHDOWN. I FOUND THAT THE L COWLING DOOR HAD SEPARATED. THE ONLY OTHER DAMAGE WAS A SMALL DENT AND A SCRATCH ON L SIDE OF FUSELAGE. I DECIDED TO FLY THE HELI BACK AT A REDUCED AIRSPD TO THE HOME BASE HOSPITAL WHICH WAS 31 MI AWAY. THE DECISION WAS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING: I DETERMINED IT WAS SAFE TO FLY. I WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANYONE AT MY COMPANY TO HELP WITH THE DECISION. THE DAY WX WAS CLR. WE HAD A CRITICAL PATIENT ON BOARD. (THE PATIENT EXPIRED 2 HRS AFTER ARR AT THE HOSPITAL). THE CTLS HAD FELT NORMAL AND THE HELI FLEW SMOOTHLY DURING THE ENTIRE INCIDENT. I FLEW THE HELI BACK TO THE HOME BASE HOSPITAL WHERE THE PATIENT AND MEDICAL CREW WERE DROPPED OFF. I THEN FLEW THE HELI TO THE COMPANY HEADQUARTERS WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE ARPT ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE HOSPITAL. AFTER CONSIDERING ALL OF THE OPTIONS SUCH AS TIME FOR GND AMBULANCE DISPATCH AND ARR, PATIENT TIME AWAY FROM HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT AND HELI CONDITION, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA DID A FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION AND A COWLING LATCH FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT AND THE PLT PERFORMED SATISFACTORILY.

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.