20110204002599A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mcdonnell D 369E · Elverta, CA · February 4, 2011

Date: February 4, 2011 · 14:30 local
Place: Elverta, CA
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: W9OL
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N416WC
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR11LA122
Reported as: Mcdonnell D 369E
Reported engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 22,500 total17,542 in this make and model59 in the last 90 days

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.

While assisting in hanging tensioning pullies on pull rope used to string cables between large electrical towers, helicopter came in contact with pull rope strung between towers and tangled rotor mast, 3 rotor blades were broken and helicopter went to the ground partially suspended by the rope

As the FAA filed it

WHILE ASSISTING IN HANGING TENSIONING PULLIES ON PULL ROPE USED TO STRING CABLES BETWEEN LARGE ELECTRICAL TOWERS, HELICOPTER CAME IN CONTACT WITH PULL ROPE STRUNG BETWEEN TOWERS AND TANGLED ROTOR MAST, 3 ROTOR BLADES WERE BROKEN AND HELICOPTER WENT TO THE GROUND PARTIALLY SUSPENDED BY THE ROPE

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 WPR11LA122Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportElverta, CAThe pilot did not maintain rotor blade clearance from an installation rope while maneuvering to install power lines.Feb 4, 2011 · Substantial damage