The main cargo door flew open just 300 metres over Balsam Lake and cargo of the chopper fell into the lake.

The incident happened when the chopper was going from Toronto to Haliburton to pick up a patient from a local hospital. All aboard remained safe.

Transport Canada has been informed of the incident and ORNGE is investigating it. “(ORNGE) will take whatever steps necessary to minimize the chance of this happening again,” ORNGE spokesman James MacDonald said on June 3 while talking to media.

MacDonald further said the pilots did a visual inspection after landing the chopper, “concluding that there had been no damage.” The chopper resumed its flight to pick up the patient from Haliburton, who was later flown to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

The post ORNGE Chopper’s Door Blows Open Midair in Haliburton, Canada first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.

What: ORNGE AugustaWestland air ambulance en route from Billy Bishop island airport to a patient west of Toronto
Where: Colonel Samuel Smith Park south of Lake Shore Boulevard West.
When: March 23, 2012, 6:00 pm
Who: 2 pilots, 2 medics
Why: While en route to pick up a Toronto patient, the air ambulance door opened and a window blew out. The pilots had to make an immediate emergency landing near Humber College.

No one was injured, but they had been in jeopardy. Sn ORNGE insider said if the door or window hit the tail rotor “it could have been catastrophic.”

Two aircraft engineers removed the faulty door. The flight crew flew the chopper back to the airport for examination.

A known problem of the AW139 is the helicopters tail rotors. An EASA directive of Aug. 19 2011 ordered helicopter owners to replace the tail rotors after 600 hours of flight following a fatal accident “possibly caused by cracks in a TR (tail rotor) blade.”

The post Air Ambulance Emergency Landing first appeared on George Hatcher's Air Flight Disaster.