20071106826469A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell OH58A · Cougar, WA · November 6, 2007

Date: November 6, 2007 · 09:40 local
Place: Cougar, WA
Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: GJDG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N831SD
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA08LA020
Reported as: Bell OH58A
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,500 total100 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days

N831SDRegistered now · Arrow Falcon Exporters OH-58A+S/N 69-16120 · Built 2005 Airframe modelArrow Falcon Exporters OH-58A+Engine modelAllison T63 seriesTurbo-shaft

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 took off with fertilizer bucket attached. Suspension cable from bucket was inadvertently over lower blade of wire strike protection system. Pilot failed to verify bucket suspension cables were clear of helicopter and rigging was correct prior to hover and transition to forward flight. Due to this condition, CG shifted forward excessively. Pilot ran out of aft cyclic and impacted side of hill and small tree.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT TOOK OFF WITH FERTILIZER BUCKET ATTACHED. SUSPENSION CABLE FROM BUCKET WAS INADVERTENTLY OVER LOWER BLADE OF WIRE STRIKE PROTECTION SYSTEM. PILOT FAILED TO VERIFY BUCKET SUSPENSION CABLES WERE CLEAR OF HELICOPTER AND RIGGING WAS CORRECT PRIOR TO HOVER AND TRANSITION TO FORWARD FLIGHT. DUE TO THIS CONDITION, CG SHIFTED FORWARD EXCESSIVELY. PILOT RAN OUT OF AFT CYCLIC AND IMPACTED SIDE OF HILL AND SMALL TREE.

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 SEA08LA020Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCougar, WAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a nearby tree while performing a hover-climb. Factors include his failure to maintain clearance from his long-line cable, and his likely diverted attention to the entanglement of the cable on the helicopter's…Nov 6, 2007 · Substantial damage