19960312003909A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Houma, LA · March 12, 1996

Date: March 12, 1996 · 09:00 local
Place: Houma, LA
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: LCFL
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N115FH
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW96LA147
Reported as: Bell 206B
Fatal injuries: 0

N115FHRegistration cancelled Sep 18, 2017 · Bell 206BS/N 2737 · Built 1979 Airframe modelBell 206B Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Helicopter conducting seismic work using 100FT long external load, crashed.(-23) the pilot was conducting class b external-load operations, 14 CFR, part 133, supporting a seismic operation in the marshlands near Houma, Louisiana. A group of men operating air boats were removing seismic sensors from the marsh. The helicopter would meet each air boat and the ground personnel would load the seismic equipment into the metal box that was being carried by the helicopter. After lowering the metal basket to the ground, the pilot was notified by hand signals that the ground crew had stuck the air boat. A person on the airboat detached the log line cable from the basket and reattached it to the airboat. The pilot was then signaled to pull the boat free from the mud. While attempting to pull the boat free, it is believed that the helicopter encountered dynamic rollover and a as a result, crashed.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER CONDUCTING SEISMIC WORK USING 100FT LONG EXTERNAL LOAD, CRASHED.(-23) THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING CLASS B EXTERNAL-LOAD OPERATIONS, 14 CFR, PART 133, SUPPORTING A SEISMIC OPERATION IN THE MARSHLANDS NEAR HOUMA, LOUISIANA. A GROUP OF MEN OPERATING AIR BOATS WERE REMOVING SEISMIC SENSORS FROM THE MARSH. THE HELICOPTER WOULD MEET EACH AIR BOAT AND THE GROUND PERSONNEL WOULD LOAD THE SEISMIC EQUIPMENT INTO THE METAL BOX THAT WAS BEING CARRIED BY THE HELICOPTER. AFTER LOWERING THE METAL BASKET TO THE GROUND, THE PILOT WAS NOTIFIED BY HAND SIGNALS THAT THE GROUND CREW HAD STUCK THE AIR BOAT. A PERSON ON THE AIRBOAT DETACHED THE LOG LINE CABLE FROM THE BASKET AND REATTACHED IT TO THE AIRBOAT. THE PILOT WAS THEN SIGNALED TO PULL THE BOAT FREE FROM THE MUD. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL THE BOAT FREE, IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED DYNAMIC ROLLOVER AND A AS A RESULT, CRASHED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW96LA147Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHouma, LAthe pilot's attempted maneuver which exceeded the dynamic capability of the helicopter.Mar 12, 1996 · Substantial damage