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20110607013519I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Erickson S-64F · Plaster City, CA · June 7, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 7, 2011 · 08:40 local
Place
Plaster City, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N237AC
Reported as
Erickson S64F
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney JFTD12A-5A
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
18,112 total800 in this make and model22 in the last 90 days
N237ACRegistration cancelled Jun 25, 2020 · Erickson S-64FS/N 64095 · Built 1970Airframe modelErickson S-64FEngine modelPratt & Whitney JFTD12A-5ATurbo-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.

On June 7, 2011, a san diego gas & electric SK-64F , N237AC, an Erickson air crane, operating under external load certificate no. 85DL967M,was performing an external load flight under an approved congested area plan, lifting a 16,000LB transmission tower section. At an altitude of approximately 200FT, the 4 electrically activated hooks holding the tower section inadvertently opened,allowing the tower section to fall to the ground. Initial investigation concluded faulty electrical wiring in a canon plug in the hook release mechanism contributed to the uncommanded release. The faulty canon plug wiring was replaced and the aircraft was returned to service following a series of uneventful operational test flights carrying external loads of similiar weight. On June 10, 2011 routine external load flights were resumed under an approved congested area plan. The first four flights lifting tower sections were performed without incident. While carrying the fifth tower section, the flight crew felt a "jolt" and observed that 3 of 4 hooks had released without command and the tower was now held by the remaining hook. While lowering the tower section to the ground, the remaining hook released without command as two of the tower's four legs touched the ground. The tower fell on its' side and was damaged.N237AC was removed from service and is undergoing an extensive inspection by the manufacturer, Erickson air crane, cental point, Oregon.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 7, 2011, A SAN DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC SK-64F , N237AC, AN ERICKSON AIR CRANE, OPERATING UNDER EXTERNAL LOAD CERTIFICATE NO. 85DL967M,WAS PERFORMING AN EXTERNAL LOAD FLIGHT UNDER AN APPROVED CONGESTED AREA PLAN, LIFTING A 16,000LB TRANSMISSION TOWER SECTION. AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 200FT, THE 4 ELECTRICALLY ACTIVATED HOOKS HOLDING THE TOWER SECTION INADVERTENTLY OPENED,ALLOWING THE TOWER SECTION TO FALL TO THE GROUND.INITIAL INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING IN A CANON PLUG IN THE HOOK RELEASE MECHANISM CONTRIBUTED TO THE UNCOMMANDED RELEASE. THE FAULTY CANON PLUG WIRING WAS REPLACED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE FOLLOWING A SERIES OF UNEVENTFUL OPERATIONAL TEST FLIGHTS CARRYING EXTERNAL LOADS OF SIMILIAR WEIGHT.ON JUNE 10, 2011 ROUTINE EXTERNAL LOAD FLIGHTS WERE RESUMED UNDER AN APPROVED CONGESTED AREA PLAN. THE FIRST FOUR FLIGHTS LIFTING TOWER SECTIONS WERE PERFORMED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE CARRYING THE FIFTH TOWER SECTION, THE FLIGHT CREW FELT A "JOLT" AND OBSERVED THAT 3 OF 4 HOOKS HAD RELEASED WITHOUT COMMAND AND THE TOWER WAS NOW HELD BY THE REMAINING HOOK. WHILE LOWERING THE TOWER SECTION TO THE GROUND, THE REMAINING HOOK RELEASED WITHOUT COMMAND AS TWO OF THE TOWER'S FOUR LEGS TOUCHED THE GROUND. THE TOWER FELL ON ITS' SIDE AND WAS DAMAGED.N237AC WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE AND IS UNDERGOING AN EXTENSIVE INSPECTION BY THE MANUFACTURER, ERICKSON AIR CRANE, CENTAL POINT, OREGON.