20000730005999A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Missoula, MT · July 30, 2000

Date: July 30, 2000 · 18:00 local
Place: Missoula, MT
Airport: Missoula International Airport
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N179Z
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA00TA149

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.

(-23) The aircraft was owned and operated by U.S. Forest service and conducting a fire fighting mission. The pilot stated that they had dropped 8 smokejumpers and 3 cargo passes. On the 4th cargo pass when the command to kick was given, the aircraft pitched down. Back pressure and power were applied. Several other up and down pitches occurred. The aircraft was flown back to Missoula, an emergency was declared, and landed without incident. The spotter stated that on the 4th cargo pass when he attempted to push a chainsaw box out the door, the box came back into the aircraft, the corner hit him in the sternum. He pushed the box out again and it went end over end and up the left side of the aircraft. The box continued over the horizontal stabilizer. The cargo chute deployed and went under the horizontal stabilizer. The spotter informed the pilot that they had cargo in tow. The pilot requested that the static line be cut. The cargo chute blew out and was streaming behind the tail.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY U.S. FOREST SERVICE AND CONDUCTING A FIRE FIGHTING MISSION. THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY HAD DROPPED 8 SMOKEJUMPERS AND 3 CARGO PASSES. ON THE 4TH CARGO PASS WHEN THE COMMAND TO KICK WAS GIVEN, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN. BACK PRESSURE AND POWER WERE APPLIED. SEVERAL OTHER UP AND DOWN PITCHES OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO MISSOULA, AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE SPOTTER STATED THAT ON THE 4TH CARGO PASS WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO PUSH A CHAINSAW BOX OUT THE DOOR, THE BOX CAME BACK INTO THE AIRCRAFT, THE CORNER HIT HIM IN THE STERNUM. HE PUSHED THE BOX OUT AGAIN AND IT WENT END OVER END AND UP THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE BOX CONTINUED OVER THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE CARGO CHUTE DEPLOYED AND WENT UNDER THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE SPOTTER INFORMED THE PILOT THAT THEY HAD CARGO IN TOW. THE PILOT REQUESTED THAT THE STATIC LINE BE CUT. THE CARGO CHUTE BLEW OUT AND WAS STREAMING BEHIND THE TAIL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA00TA149Accident · No injuriesFinal reportElk City, IDEntanglement of air-dropped cargo parachute with the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer, resulting in damage to the horizontal stabilizer.Jul 31, 2000 · Substantial damage