What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter was doing long line work when basket caught a fence and pulled aircraft to the ground. (-23) on October 31 1996, at 1715 central standard time, a Bell, model 206B, helicopter, N2043B, registered to rotorcraft leasing company, broussard, Louisiana, operated by American aviation, inc., as a 14 CFR part 91 flight; impacted the ground during takeoff from a field location near Creole, Louisiana. The commercial pilot was not injured and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and company VFR flight plan was filed. The company holds a federal aviation administration, title 14 CFR, part 133, operating certificate for external-load operations. The helicopter was equipped with a 100-foot-long line and an aluminum basket. The pilot arrived at the landing site at 0730 hours and began the day's activities, which totaled approximately 2 hours of flight time. At the end of the day, after being stationary for approximately 4 hours, the crew began to pick up for the day's end. As the helicopter was being repositioned to another location for the evening for daily maintenance, the pilot star ted and took off without checking the line attachment. The pilot stated that he forgot that the line was still attached and forgot to check. The basket snagged a fence and the helicopter was pulled to ground contact, causing damage to the main rotor and the drive train. The company has initiated a procedure to ensure a non-reoccurrence of this event in the future.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER WAS DOING LONG LINE WORK WHEN BASKET CAUGHT A FENCE AND PULLED AIRCRAFT TO THE GROUND. (-23) ON OCTOBER 31 1996, AT 1715 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL, MODEL 206B, HELICOPTER, N2043B, REGISTERED TO ROTORCRAFT LEASING COMPANY, BROUSSARD, LOUISIANA, OPERATED BY AMERICAN AVIATION, INC., AS A 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT; IMPACTED THE GROUND DURING TAKEOFF FROM A FIELD LOCATION NEAR CREOLE, LOUISIANA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE COMPANY HOLDS A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, TITLE 14 CFR, PART 133, OPERATING CERTIFICATE FOR EXTERNAL-LOAD OPERATIONS. THE HELICOPTER WAS EQUIPPED WITH A 100-FOOT-LONG LINE AND AN ALUMINUM BASKET. THE PILOT ARRIVED AT THE LANDING SITE AT 0730 HOURS AND BEGAN THE DAY'S ACTIVITIES, WHICH TOTALED APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME. AT THE END OF THE DAY, AFTER BEING STATIONARY FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS, THE CREW BEGAN TO PICK UP FOR THE DAY'S END. AS THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING REPOSITIONED TO ANOTHER LOCATION FOR THE EVENING FOR DAILY MAINTENANCE, THE PILOT STAR TED AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT CHECKING THE LINE ATTACHMENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FORGOT THAT THE LINE WAS STILL ATTACHED AND FORGOT TO CHECK. THE BASKET SNAGGED A FENCE AND THE HELICOPTER WAS PULLED TO GROUND CONTACT, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR AND THE DRIVE TRAIN. THE COMPANY HAS INITIATED A PROCEDURE TO ENSURE A NON-REOCCURRENCE OF THIS EVENT IN THE FUTURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.