# Accident 19980203000919A: Bell UH1H, Savannh, TN, February 3, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 3, 1998, 08:50 local time
- Place: Savannh, TN
- Airport: Savannah-Hardin County Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.2207° N, 88.2294° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2207&lon=-88.2294&mi=10
- Aircraft: N30TV, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N30TV-1998-09-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell UH-1H (registry code 1181407, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-uh-1h) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL UH1H
- Reported engine: LYC T53L13B
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 4
- Pilot flight hours: 12,710 total, 380 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98GA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98GA069) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980203000919A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA98GA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98GA069), Feb 3, 1998: Bell UH-1H (N30TV), Savannah, TN, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: failure of the flight crew to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance from the pole and workman. Related factors were: the gusty wind condition, inadequate communication/coordination between the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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