20030331005699A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Tyonek, AK · March 31, 2003

Date: March 31, 2003 · 09:30 local
Place: Tyonek, AK
Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: EOOA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N90431
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC03LA038
Reported as: Hughes 369D
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,000 total2,300 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

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) Pilot dropped off passenger in lz, then repositioned the aircraft. The lz had high brush and was a tight area for blade clearance. The pilot returned to the same lz to retrieve the passenger. After the passenger boarded the pilot looked around to clear his take off and did not notice that a geophone cable laid over the left skid tube. As he took off he felt a slight jerk and heard a sound. He landed in a larger area and shut down. Inspection revealed that the cable had broken the mirror attached to the skid and it flew into one blade, then was thrust rearward into the horizontal stabilizer causing damage to both.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT DROPPED OFF PASSENGER IN LZ, THEN REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT. THE LZ HAD HIGH BRUSH AND WAS A TIGHT AREA FOR BLADE CLEARANCE. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE SAME LZ TO RETRIEVE THE PASSENGER. AFTER THE PASSENGER BOARDED THE PILOT LOOKED AROUND TO CLEAR HIS TAKE OFF AND DID NOT NOTICE THAT A GEOPHONE CABLE LAID OVER THE LEFT SKID TUBE. AS HE TOOK OFF HE FELT A SLIGHT JERK AND HEARD A SOUND. HE LANDED IN A LARGER AREA AND SHUT DOWN. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE CABLE HAD BROKEN THE MIRROR ATTACHED TO THE SKID AND IT FLEW INTO ONE BLADE, THEN WAS THRUST REARWARD INTO THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH.

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 ANC03LA038Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTyonek, AKThe pilot's inadequate visual lookout while lifting into a hover to ensure the helicopter was clear of all objects, which resulted in separation of an external mirror that then struck and damaged a main rotor blade. Factors in the accident were the presence…Mar 31, 2003 · Substantial damage