20080822857739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robins R44 · Illiamna, AK · August 22, 2008

Date: August 22, 2008 · 18:30 local
Place: Illiamna, AK
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: UPXC
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N291VB
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC08CA112
Reported as: Robins R44
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,252 total640 in this make and model324 in the last 90 days

N291VBRegistration cancelled Oct 15, 2008 · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 1138 · Built 2001 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 Engine modelLycoming O-540-F1B5Reciprocating

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.

Pilot was enroute from base camp to a drilling site to move a ground crew. As he approached a 70 foot drilling tower along his route he collided with a 3/8 inch cable that had been pulled out of the well and strung from the top of the drilling tower across the tundra. The pilot states he was flying approximately 30 feet above the ground. The ground crew at the drilling well was in the process of changing out the cable. The pilot was aware of the cable being out of the well, but had been told it was stretched out across the tundra.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS ENROUTE FROM BASE CAMP TO A DRILLING SITE TO MOVE A GROUND CREW. AS HE APPROACHED A 70 FOOT DRILLING TOWER ALONG HIS ROUTE HE COLLIDED WITH A 3/8 INCH CABLE THAT HAD BEEN PULLED OUT OF THE WELL AND STRUNG FROM THE TOP OF THE DRILLING TOWER ACROSS THE TUNDRA. THE PILOT STATES HE WAS FLYING APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE GROUND CREW AT THE DRILLING WELL WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING OUT THE CABLE. THE PILOT WAS AWARE OF THE CABLE BEING OUT OF THE WELL, BUT HAD BEEN TOLD IT WAS STRETCHED OUT ACROSS THE TUNDRA.

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 ANC08CA112Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportIliamna, AKThe pilot's failure to see a wire cable prior to colliding with it. Factors contributing to the accident were the non-routine positioning of the wire cable, and the ground crew's failure to advise the pilot that the wire had been re-routed.Aug 23, 2008 · Substantial damage