What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Sikorsky S64E skycrane helicopter was involved in a logging operation, the acft came in to the landing site and dropped a load of logs, one log hung up on a cable and swung around striking and fatally injuring a ground employee, other circunstances are unknown. (-23)the helicopter was involved in an aerial logging operation near hoodsport, WA. The aircraft was depositing a load of logs at the landing site. The operation involved a long-line of 200 feet in length and two tag lines. The longest tag line contained 4 logs and was an additional 200 feet long. The tag line containing a single log released normally from the white portion of the hook. The tag line containing 4 logs did not release from the red portion of the hook. As the aircraft hovered away from the landing, one end of the last log raised off the ground to approx. a 45 degree angel. The line then released from the hook. The log, with one end on the ground and a tag line to the remaining logs secured in the center of the log, pivoted around and struck a ground crewsman who entered the operational area prematurely without verifying the load had released properly, resulting in fatal injuries to the ground crewman.
As the FAA filed it
SIKORSKY S64E SKYCRANE HELICOPTER WAS INVOLVED IN A LOGGING OPERATION, THE ACFT CAME IN TO THE LANDING SITE AND DROPPED A LOAD OF LOGS, ONE LOG HUNG UP ON A CABLE AND SWUNG AROUND STRIKING AND FATALLY INJURING A GROUND EMPLOYEE, OTHER CIRCUNSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23)THE HELICOPTER WAS INVOLVED IN AN AERIAL LOGGING OPERATION NEAR HOODSPORT, WA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEPOSITING A LOAD OF LOGS AT THE LANDING SITE. THE OPERATION INVOLVED A LONG-LINE OF 200 FEET IN LENGTH AND TWO TAG LINES. THE LONGEST TAG LINE CONTAINED 4 LOGS AND WAS AN ADDITIONAL 200 FEET LONG. THE TAG LINE CONTAINING A SINGLE LOG RELEASED NORMALLY FROM THE WHITE PORTION OF THE HOOK. THE TAG LINE CONTAINING 4 LOGS DID NOT RELEASE FROM THE RED PORTION OF THE HOOK. AS THE AIRCRAFT HOVERED AWAY FROM THE LANDING, ONE END OF THE LAST LOG RAISED OFF THE GROUND TO APPROX. A 45 DEGREE ANGEL. THE LINE THEN RELEASED FROM THE HOOK. THE LOG, WITH ONE END ON THE GROUND AND A TAG LINE TO THE REMAINING LOGS SECURED IN THE CENTER OF THE LOG, PIVOTED AROUND AND STRUCK A GROUND CREWSMAN WHO ENTERED THE OPERATIONAL AREA PREMATURELY WITHOUT VERIFYING THE LOAD HAD RELEASED PROPERLY, RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES TO THE GROUND CREWMAN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.