MD 900/901/902 Explorer
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Rotorcraft
Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors; MEL; Procedure
After loading patient in the aircraft; I conducted walk around and got in the aircraft. Normal start up. Medical crew was having difficulty finding [one of their equipment] bags. Thinking it might be outside the aircraft a medic opened the cabin door to look and then re-closed the door. The cabin door light remained illuminated so I exited the aircraft and checked all the doors and then returned to the aircraft and got strapped back in. I did conduct the before takeoff check; visually checking the power knobs to fly; RPM no cautions or warnings etc. but must have missed the torques. As I lifted off; I got the RPM audio so I sat the aircraft down and rechecked everything. The number two power knob was not completely into the fly position so the engine was at idle. I now had the 'check exceedance log' illuminated on the IIDS [Integrated Instrument Display System]. I checked it and it was 'LT XMSN TQ OEI'. I pushed the CLR button and it cleared. I proceeded with the patient to the drop off hospital then returned to base. After returning to base I notified the Mechanic and at that point I realized what I had done and the mistake that I had made. This was purely my fault. I should have ensured that the power knob was completely [safe] to fly. Not just visually but actually felt the knob. We are on our 11th MEL extension on this IIDS. We get aircraft faults after each flight. We have to pull up the aircraft fault and clear it. If it clears; we are good to go. I didn't differentiate between 'aircraft fault' and 'exceedance fault' at the time. I just figured that it cleared as it always did so I was good to continue. It was after the fact that I made the distinction between the two but at that point it was too late.
When an MD900 helicopter pilot failed to insure the right engine power knob was in the 'fly' mode the left engine was overtorqued during the subsequent lift off and sit down. When the IIDS message 'check exceedance log' was able to be 'cleared' the reporter believed he was 'good to go' and completed the mission; only to learn that; unlike IIDS faults; exceedences must be resolved by Maintenance prior to further flight.