Jet/Long Ranger/206
Maintenance Powerplant; Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Inspection Authority
Maintenance Technician 15
Workload; Time Pressure; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Diverted; General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Aircraft; Weather; Human Factors; Company Policy; Equipment / Tooling
During an investigation into the Bell-206 aircraft heater not producing enough heat; a part of the aircraft where Narcotics are stored was insulated; held on by tape intended to be temporary; to see if it would help keep these drugs from freezing. This problem with the Narcotics freezing has been going on for at least a week with no solution by the company Management. Extreme pressure was felt by me to find a solution to the problem so that flights could continue in freezing weather and money not wasted. During the next flight this insulation came in contact with a Cannon plug and partially melted. This Cannon plug should not have been hot; let alone hot enough to melt anything. Aircraft landed in a field and was checked out by another Mechanic who removed insulation and could not duplicate why cannon plug was hot.
Reporter stated their Bell-206 is a single engine helicopter used for medivac missions. The flight was scheduled for a patient pick-up when a burning; hot; plastic smell caught the attention of the Medic onboard.The insulation that had melted in flight was about centerline at the cabin overhead. The Cannon plug supplied power to the bodily fluids Suction Pump. The melted insulation may have been made with some metallic material. But no one has been able to explain why the serviceable Cannon plug was so hot. The Operator has since switched to a more rigid type of insulation.
An Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) was informed that a Bell-206 helicopter used for medivac missions was forced to divert due to a burning; hot plastic smell in the cabin overhead. Insulation used to keep medical narcotics from freezing had melted at the Cannon plug for the bodily fluids Suction Pump.