What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Rope stringing operation. Failed to maintain control, struck pole and workman, rolled and impacted ground. (.4)helicopter (hel) was being used to string rope/wires with chief pilot (PIC) in left front seat, copilot in right front seat, & 2 observers behind pilots on either side. Witnesses observed hel approach 150' tall pole with a workman at the top. Workman was to connect a rope to a 17' line from the hel which had 600 lbs of weights attached. Foreman in charge of ground operations was observing on ground between his vehicle & the pole. He was not in radio contact with pilots, although vehicle was radio equipped. Witnesses saw hel approach workman & pole from above with hel's nose facing northwest. Wind was from 110 deg at 9 gusting 19 KTS. Observers were watching from sides of hel; right observer was providing suggested flight directions for the copilot, who was on the controls. Hel came to a high hover over the pole; workman attempted to attach the rope. Witnesses said hel descended as it drifted left & forward of pole & workman, then it began to back up & climb. Rotor blades struck pole & workman. Hel then rolled right, descended, & I mpacted ground on its right side. The hook system that was normally used for this type of operation was on another hel & was not available for this mission. Instead, a 'u' shaped swivel hook with a bolt & nut arrangement was used. The normal hook system would have allowed the workman to quickly hook the rope to the hel within seconds. Video tape showed hel hovering above workman & pole for 1-1/4 min until tape stopped (just before accident). Operation manual required 2-WAY radio communication between pilot & ground crew (unless otherwise authorized by manager of aviation services). There was no communication between pilot & ground crew from time hel was overhead until accident occurred. (-23)narrative MIA98GA069.
As the FAA filed it
ROPE STRINGING OPERATION. FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, STRUCK POLE AND WORKMAN, ROLLED AND IMPACTED GROUND. (.4)HELICOPTER (HEL) WAS BEING USED TO STRING ROPE/WIRES WITH CHIEF PILOT (PIC) IN LEFT FRONT SEAT, COPILOT IN RIGHT FRONT SEAT, & 2 OBSERVERS BEHIND PILOTS ON EITHER SIDE. WITNESSES OBSERVED HEL APPROACH 150' TALL POLE WITH A WORKMAN AT THE TOP. WORKMAN WAS TO CONNECT A ROPE TO A 17' LINE FROM THE HEL WHICH HAD 600 LBS OF WEIGHTS ATTACHED. FOREMAN IN CHARGE OF GROUND OPERATIONS WAS OBSERVING ON GROUND BETWEEN HIS VEHICLE & THE POLE. HE WAS NOT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH PILOTS, ALTHOUGH VEHICLE WAS RADIO EQUIPPED. WITNESSES SAW HEL APPROACH WORKMAN & POLE FROM ABOVE WITH HEL'S NOSE FACING NORTHWEST. WIND WAS FROM 110 DEG AT 9 GUSTING 19 KTS. OBSERVERS WERE WATCHING FROM SIDES OF HEL; RIGHT OBSERVER WAS PROVIDING SUGGESTED FLIGHT DIRECTIONS FOR THE COPILOT, WHO WAS ON THE CONTROLS. HEL CAME TO A HIGH HOVER OVER THE POLE; WORKMAN ATTEMPTED TO ATTACH THE ROPE. WITNESSES SAID HEL DESCENDED AS IT DRIFTED LEFT & FORWARD OF POLE & WORKMAN, THEN IT BEGAN TO BACK UP & CLIMB. ROTOR BLADES STRUCK POLE & WORKMAN. HEL THEN ROLLED RIGHT, DESCENDED, & I MPACTED GROUND ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE HOOK SYSTEM THAT WAS NORMALLY USED FOR THIS TYPE OF OPERATION WAS ON ANOTHER HEL & WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS MISSION. INSTEAD, A 'U' SHAPED SWIVEL HOOK WITH A BOLT & NUT ARRANGEMENT WAS USED. THE NORMAL HOOK SYSTEM WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE WORKMAN TO QUICKLY HOOK THE ROPE TO THE HEL WITHIN SECONDS. VIDEO TAPE SHOWED HEL HOVERING ABOVE WORKMAN & POLE FOR 1-1/4 MIN UNTIL TAPE STOPPED (JUST BEFORE ACCIDENT). OPERATION MANUAL REQUIRED 2-WAY RADIO COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PILOT & GROUND CREW (UNLESS OTHERWISE AUTHORIZED BY MANAGER OF AVIATION SERVICES). THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PILOT & GROUND CREW FROM TIME HEL WAS OVERHEAD UNTIL ACCIDENT OCCURRED. (-23)NARRATIVE MIA98GA069.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.