20040817017809A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Mead, WA · August 17, 2004

Date: August 17, 2004 · 09:45 local
Place: Mead, WA
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N34698
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA04TA163
Reported as: Bell 206B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 20,000 total

N34698Registration cancelled Nov 14, 2012 · Bell 206BS/N 4324 · Built 1994 Airframe modelBell 206B Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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 pilot was pulling a nylon rope used in the stringing of power lines. The reel operator was paying out the pulling rope that was connected to the helicopter. The operator stated that the rope suddenly wrapped over another rope or pulled down in the drum causing the rope to reverse on the drum. He instantly stopped the pull and called on the radio to hold the pull. As he looked up, he saw the helicopter coming down. The helicopter fell from approximately 300 feet, coming to rest on it's right side. The helicopter experienced a loss of control upset. When the drum stopped unreeling, this caused a tethered situation of the helicopter to the ground. The pilot could not react quickly enough to release the line before the helicopter exceeded it's control limits.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT WAS PULLING A NYLON ROPE USED IN THE STRINGING OF POWER LINES. THE REEL OPERATOR WAS PAYING OUT THE PULLING ROPE THAT WAS CONNECTED TO THE HELICOPTER. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT THE ROPE SUDDENLY WRAPPED OVER ANOTHER ROPE OR PULLED DOWN IN THE DRUM CAUSING THE ROPE TO REVERSE ON THE DRUM. HE INSTANTLY STOPPED THE PULL AND CALLED ON THE RADIO TO HOLD THE PULL. AS HE LOOKED UP, HE SAW THE HELICOPTER COMING DOWN. THE HELICOPTER FELL FROM APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET, COMING TO REST ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE. THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF CONTROL UPSET. WHEN THE DRUM STOPPED UNREELING, THIS CAUSED A TETHERED SITUATION OF THE HELICOPTER TO THE GROUND. THE PILOT COULD NOT REACT QUICKLY ENOUGH TO RELEASE THE LINE BEFORE THE HELICOPTER EXCEEDED IT'S CONTROL LIMITS.

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 SEA04TA163Accident · 1 fatalFinal reportMead, WAThe reversal of the reel machine during a sock line pull which resulted in a loss of control while hovering out of ground effect. Factors were the failure of company management to develop adequate procedures for conducting sock line pulls, the inadequate…Aug 17, 2004 · Destroyed