# Incident 20110607013519I: Erickson S64F, Plaster City, CA, June 7, 2011

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 7, 2011, 08:40 local time
- Place: Plaster City, CA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Location: 32.7926° N, 115.8586° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Plaster City, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7926&lon=-115.8586&mi=10
- Aircraft: N237AC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N237AC-2020-06-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Erickson S-64F (registry code 7400001, https://openairdocs.org/model/erickson-s-64f) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JFTD12A-5A (registry code 51504, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jftd12a-5a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ERICKSON S64F
- Reported engine: P & W JFTD12A-5A
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 18,112 total, 800 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110607013519I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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