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19971028039349A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Aerosp SA316B · Counselor, NM · October 28, 1997

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Date
October 28, 1997 · 10:00 local
Place
Counselor, NM
Phase of flight
Settle With Power (Rotorcraft)
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
TUWF
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
CFPWH
Reported as
Aerosp SA316B
Fatal injuries
0

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.

Sling load slowed to hover. Encountered downwash. Settled with power. (.19)on October 28, 1997, approximatley 100 mountain standard time, an aerospatiale SA316B, canadian registry cfpwh, operated by turbowest helicopters, ltd., of calgary, alberta, Canada, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain while approaching a hover 10 miles northwest of Counselor, new Mexico. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant aboard, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the nonscheduled domestic cargo air taxi flight being conducted under 14 CFR part 133. The flight originated at a staging area about a mile away just minutes before the accident. According to turbowest helicopters, the pilot reported he was slinging seismic equipment to a drilling site and entered a tight canyon. Approaching a hover at the drilling site at an altitude between 120 and 180 feet, the helicopter encountered its own downwash and settled with power. The pilot said the wind was light and variable. (-23) on October 28, 1997, at approximately 1000 mountain standard time, an aerospatiale SA315B, canadian registry cfpwh, operated by turbo-west helicopters, ltd., at calgary, alberto, Canada, was substantially damaged when it collided with the terrain 10 miles northwest at Counselor, NM. The canadian certificated commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the external load operation being conducted under 14 CFR part 133. The flight originated at a staging area approximately one mile away just before the accident.

As the FAA filed it

SLING LOAD SLOWED TO HOVER. ENCOUNTERED DOWNWASH. SETTLED WITH POWER. (.19)ON OCTOBER 28, 1997, APPROXIMATLEY 100 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE SA316B, CANADIAN REGISTRY CFPWH, OPERATED BY TURBOWEST HELICOPTERS, LTD., OF CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE APPROACHING A HOVER 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF COUNSELOR, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE NONSCHEDULED DOMESTIC CARGO AIR TAXI FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 133. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT A STAGING AREA ABOUT A MILE AWAY JUST MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO TURBOWEST HELICOPTERS, THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS SLINGING SEISMIC EQUIPMENT TO A DRILLING SITE AND ENTERED A TIGHT CANYON. APPROACHING A HOVER AT THE DRILLING SITE AT AN ALTITUDE BETWEEN 120 AND 180 FEET, THE HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED ITS OWN DOWNWASH AND SETTLED WITH POWER. THE PILOT SAID THE WIND WAS LIGHT AND VARIABLE. (-23) ON OCTOBER 28, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE SA315B, CANADIAN REGISTRY CFPWH, OPERATED BY TURBO-WEST HELICOPTERS, LTD., AT CALGARY, ALBERTO, CANADA, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN 10 MILES NORTHWEST AT COUNSELOR, NM. THE CANADIAN CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATION BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 133. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT A STAGING AREA APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE AWAY JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.