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20060919023499A

Accident
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FAA accident report · Garlik OH58A+GARLIK · Bridgewater, MA · September 19, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 19, 2006 · 16:50 local
Place
Bridgewater, MA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
FTYL
Aircraft
N802JB
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC06LA224
Reported as
Garlik OH58A+GARLIK
Reported engine
Allison 250C20C
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
14,250 total10,650 in this make and model225 in the last 90 days
N802JBRegistered now · Garlick Helicopters OH-58A+S/N 71-20851 · Built 1971Airframe modelGarlick Helicopters OH-58A+Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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 helicopter was engaged in transporting empty cranberry bins by sling load. The bins were being moved from a trailer truck and taken to a cranberry bog to be filled. While a load of four bins was being transported the load released with no command from the pilot. The sling load fell approximately eight feet and struck a company ground worker. The 63 year old worker was hospitalized with two broken ribs and one punctured lung. The worker has recovered fully and had returned to work. Both the pilot and the ground worker had many years of experience in the type of operation being conducted. The cargo hook manual release mechanism is operated by a cable. The cable exits a fitting on the belly of the helicopter and then enters another fitting approximately 4 1/2 inches away. The fittings were not aligned and were offset approximately 1 1/2 inches. This offset caused a stress on the manual release mechanism. Ground testing indicated that the hook would sometimes release as a result of the stress without any pilot command.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE HELICOPTER WAS ENGAGED IN TRANSPORTING EMPTY CRANBERRY BINS BY SLING LOAD. THE BINS WERE BEING MOVED FROM A TRAILER TRUCK AND TAKEN TO A CRANBERRY BOG TO BE FILLED. WHILE A LOAD OF FOUR BINS WAS BEING TRANSPORTED THE LOAD RELEASED WITH NO COMMAND FROM THE PILOT. THE SLING LOAD FELL APPROXIMATELY EIGHT FEET AND STRUCK A COMPANY GROUND WORKER. THE 63 YEAR OLD WORKER WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH TWO BROKEN RIBS AND ONE PUNCTURED LUNG. THE WORKER HAS RECOVERED FULLY AND HAD RETURNED TO WORK. BOTH THE PILOT AND THE GROUND WORKER HAD MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION BEING CONDUCTED. THE CARGO HOOK MANUAL RELEASE MECHANISM IS OPERATED BY A CABLE. THE CABLE EXITS A FITTING ON THE BELLY OF THE HELICOPTER AND THEN ENTERS ANOTHER FITTING APPROXIMATELY 4 1/2 INCHES AWAY. THE FITTINGS WERE NOT ALIGNED AND WERE OFFSET APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 INCHES. THIS OFFSET CAUSED A STRESS ON THE MANUAL RELEASE MECHANISM. GROUND TESTING INDICATED THAT THE HOOK WOULD SOMETIMES RELEASE AS A RESULT OF THE STRESS WITHOUT ANY PILOT COMMAND.

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 NYC06LA224Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportEast Bridgewate, MAThe completion center's installation of the incorrect (shorter) release cable, and the ground crewmember's improper movement under the flight path during a bin transfer.Sep 19, 2006 · No damage

Other reports on N802JB · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20100715037509ACruise/Level Flight · Rowley, MAThe helicopter was performing aerial application when a low RPM audio came on. The pilot lowered the collective which restored RPM. Approximately 30 minutes later while in cruise flight at 200 feet AGL at 70 knots low rotor audio came on again. Again…Jul 15, 2010 · Substantial damage