19980927037959A

(.19)On September 27, 1998, at 0825 Alaska daylight time, a Hughes HU-500D helicopter, N1091P, sustained minor damage to two main rotor blades when they struck a disembarking passenger during a toe-in landing to a remore beach site. The passenger who was struck by the rotating blades sustained serious injuries. The commercial pilot and the one other passenger were not in jured. The government flight was being operated on an end use contract by the U.S. Bureau of land management to conduct land surveys. The helicopter was owned by temsco helicopters inc. of ketchikan, Alaska. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 135, and had departed the research motor vessel (m/v) nancy h at 0755, to drop the two passengers at a remote beach site. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a flight plan was filed with the m/v nancy h. the pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge during a telephone interview on September 27, that after completing a toe-in landing, he signaled the passenger that they could exit the helicopter. The first passenger exited off the front of the skids, and walked uphill into the turning rotor blades, sustaining serious injur ies to his back and head. The helicopter immediately began to vibrate violently, and the pilot relocated to a landing site and shut down the engine. He stated that he did not turn on his emergency locator transmitter (ELT). At 1130 the us coast guard began a search resulting from satellite receipt of an ELT beacon. At 1146 the m/v nancy h reported the helicopter overdue to the coast guard. At 1257 the helicopter was located, and the occupants were rescued at 1329. (.4) the helicopter was in a partial power hover, performing a toe in landing to disembark two passengers. The passenger on the left side walked uphill, and was struck by the main rotor blades, sustaining serious injuries. The helicopter sustained minor damage to the rotor system, and the pilot relocated to a safe landing site. According to the other passenger and the pilot, the passengers had been briefed to not walk uphill when exiting the helicopter. The pilot stated that his attention was diverted between the passengers on each side of the helicopter, and maintaining the helicopter's position. (-23) after a briefing to the passengers to include egress procedures in sl oped areas, the aircraft was dropping off it first two passengers at a remote shoreline site. Due to the extremely rugged terrain, the helicopter landed with the forward portion of skids on the slope leaving a two foot space under the rear of the skids. The passenger on the right side was on the skid when the passenger on the left side walked up into the rotor blades. The pilot was looking straight down holding his position while this occurred. After the blade strike, the passenger on the right side cleared away from the aircraft due to vibrations. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft up and back with abnormal vibrations. The pilot was able to land 100 yards away on rock to shut down. Due to weak ELT assistance, the coast guard helicopter did not arrive for 3.5 hours. One passenger sustained serious head and shoulder injuries. He was released from the hospital on 10/12/98. The helicopter sustained minor damage from the blade strike.