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20060923021739A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Aerosp SA319B · Port Alsworth, AK · September 23, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 23, 2006 · 16:30 local
Place
Port Alsworth, AK
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
L49L
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N119PH
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC06LA137
Reported as
Aerosp SA319B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,300 total1,000 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days
N119PHRegistered now · Aerospatiale SA319B ALOUETTE IIIS/N 2119Airframe modelAerospatiale SA319B ALOUETTE III

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 reported that he was transporting a previously crashed Piper PA-18 airplane on a 100 foot external load line. The external load line was attached to a spreader bar that was attached to the wing structure of the airplane. The pilot stated that he was flying about 60 knots, and about 2,000 feet above ground level (AGL), when he felt the load shift. He indicated that it felt as if the suspended airplane became light, or unloaded, and he immediately began to slow the helicopter's airspeed. The helicopter then suddenly pitched nose-down about 45 degrees. The tail boom of the helicopter was struck by one or more main rotor blades, severing the tail rotor drive shaft, and one or more of the main rotor hub spacing cables broke at their frangible bolt attach points. The pilot said that about 1,000 feet AGL, he shut the engine off, and performed a touch down autorotation. During the landing on soft tundra, one of the main landing gear wheels dug into the terrain, and the helicopter's tail boom was struck by the main rotor blades, severing about two feet of the aft end of the tail boom. The pilot has not determined the cause of the external load shift.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS TRANSPORTING A PREVIOUSLY CRASHED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE ON A 100 FOOT EXTERNAL LOAD LINE. THE EXTERNAL LOAD LINE WAS ATTACHED TO A SPREADER BAR THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE WING STRUCTURE OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING ABOUT 60 KNOTS, AND ABOUT 2,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), WHEN HE FELT THE LOAD SHIFT. HE INDICATED THAT IT FELT AS IF THE SUSPENDED AIRPLANE BECAME LIGHT, OR UNLOADED, AND HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SLOW THE HELICOPTER'S AIRSPEED. THE HELICOPTER THEN SUDDENLY PITCHED NOSE-DOWN ABOUT 45 DEGREES. THE TAIL BOOM OF THE HELICOPTER WAS STRUCK BY ONE OR MORE MAIN ROTOR BLADES, SEVERING THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT, AND ONE OR MORE OF THE MAIN ROTOR HUB SPACING CABLES BROKE AT THEIR FRANGIBLE BOLT ATTACH POINTS. THE PILOT SAID THAT ABOUT 1,000 FEET AGL, HE SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND PERFORMED A TOUCH DOWN AUTOROTATION. DURING THE LANDING ON SOFT TUNDRA, ONE OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEELS DUG INTO THE TERRAIN, AND THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL BOOM WAS STRUCK BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES, SEVERING ABOUT TWO FEET OF THE AFT END OF THE TAIL BOOM. THE PILOT HAS NOT DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE EXTERNAL LOAD SHIFT.

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 ANC06LA137Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPort Alsworth, AKThe pilot's failure to adequately secure the external load rigging of an airplane that was suspended from the helicopter, which resulted in a load shift during cruise flight, producing an abrupt nose-down attitude, and the severing of the tailrotor drive…Sep 24, 2006 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N119PH · 1

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

Accident 20030407007139APwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft · Valdez, AK(-23) While performing 135 heliski ops pilot approached lz at 5500'. At touch down aircraft began to shake pilot lifted off to smooth out system shake became violent, pilot headed down hill apprx 500' to better landing area. Enroute the shake became smoother…Apr 7, 2003 · Substantial damage