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20110704019349I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Eurocopter AS 350 BA · Prosperity, PA · July 4, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 4, 2011 · 08:45 local
Place
Prosperity, PA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
UA7L
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N250AH
Reported as
Eurocopter AS 350 BA
Reported engine
Honeywell LTS101-700D-2
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
5,159 total2,386 in this make and model172 in the last 90 days
N250AHRegistration cancelled Oct 7, 2014 · Eurocopter AS 350 BAS/N 1493 · Built 1982Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 BAEngine modelHoneywell LTS101-700D-2Turbo-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 July 4, 2011 at approximately 0845 eastern daylight savings time, aircraft N250AH, a Eurocopter AS-350-BA, operating under title 14 CFR part 133, operated by utility aviation (UA7L), was conducting external load operations in green county Pennsylvania in support of seismic testing when a cargo bag inadvertently dropped to the ground and damaged a fence. A witness reported seeing the helicopter maneuvering in the area carrying a number of large orange bags and noted one bag was hanging below the others. Subsequently, the witness saw the lower hanging bag fall from the helicopter. The witness reported finding the bag along the side of tower road. The approximate impact location of the bag was latitude: 39.9924, longitude: -80.2263.the pilot indicated he was unaware he had dropped a bag. He went on to say that due to the thick vegetation in the area it is often difficult to confirm a bag is on the ground once he has released it. The pilot added over his last 23 days of flying he has had approximately 50 bags snag on other bags after he has released them. The pilot said he has moved approximately 3000 bags over this time and this was the first incident where a bag has dropped. He also conveyed the fact that the prior pilot assigned to this job had briefed him on the ongoing issue of bags snagging on each other. The pilot stated when he becomes aware of a snagged bag he sets the complete load down, releases it, and has a ground crew come in and resolve the issue. When asked as to his thoughts on a possible reason for the bags snagging on each other, the pilot said it was most likely the antenna stick out of each back. He believes the rope or the d ring from the released bag is possibly catching on an antenna of the other bag(s). An examination of a loaded bag showed the remote seismic recorder's antenna was sticking out of the bag by approximately two to three feet, depending on the placement of the transponder within the bag. Additionally, the bags use a drawstring system to close the bag, which forms the rope into a loop leading up to the attachment point. The rope has two large d rings, one of which attaches to the carousel, which attaches to the lift line of the helicopter. The carousel has eight attachment hooks; however, the pilot stated he only lifts six bags at a time. The pilot added each bag weighs approximately 220 lbs.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 4, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 0845 EASTERN DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, AIRCRAFT N250AH, A EUROCOPTER AS-350-BA, OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 133, OPERATED BY UTILITY AVIATION (UA7L), WAS CONDUCTING EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATIONS IN GREEN COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA IN SUPPORT OF SEISMIC TESTING WHEN A CARGO BAG INADVERTENTLY DROPPED TO THE GROUND AND DAMAGED A FENCE. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE HELICOPTER MANEUVERING IN THE AREA CARRYING A NUMBER OF LARGE ORANGE BAGS AND NOTED ONE BAG WAS HANGING BELOW THE OTHERS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE WITNESS SAW THE LOWER HANGING BAG FALL FROM THE HELICOPTER. THE WITNESS REPORTED FINDING THE BAG ALONG THE SIDE OF TOWER ROAD. THE APPROXIMATE IMPACT LOCATION OF THE BAG WAS LATITUDE: 39.9924, LONGITUDE: -80.2263.THE PILOT INDICATED HE WAS UNAWARE HE HAD DROPPED A BAG. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT DUE TO THE THICK VEGETATION IN THE AREA IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO CONFIRM A BAG IS ON THE GROUND ONCE HE HAS RELEASED IT. THE PILOT ADDED OVER HIS LAST 23 DAYS OF FLYING HE HAS HAD APPROXIMATELY 50 BAGS SNAG ON OTHER BAGS AFTER HE HAS RELEASED THEM. THE PILOT SAID HE HAS MOVED APPROXIMATELY 3000 BAGS OVER THIS TIME AND THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT WHERE A BAG HAS DROPPED. HE ALSO CONVEYED THE FACT THAT THE PRIOR PILOT ASSIGNED TO THIS JOB HAD BRIEFED HIM ON THE ONGOING ISSUE OF BAGS SNAGGING ON EACH OTHER. THE PILOT STATED WHEN HE BECOMES AWARE OF A SNAGGED BAG HE SETS THE COMPLETE LOAD DOWN, RELEASES IT, AND HAS A GROUND CREW COME IN AND RESOLVE THE ISSUE.WHEN ASKED AS TO HIS THOUGHTS ON A POSSIBLE REASON FOR THE BAGS SNAGGING ON EACH OTHER, THE PILOT SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY THE ANTENNA STICK OUT OF EACH BACK. HE BELIEVES THE ROPE OR THE D RING FROM THE RELEASED BAG IS POSSIBLY CATCHING ON AN ANTENNA OF THE OTHER BAG(S). AN EXAMINATION OF A LOADED BAG SHOWED THE REMOTE SEISMIC RECORDER'S ANTENNA WAS STICKING OUT OF THE BAG BY APPROXIMATELY TWO TO THREE FEET, DEPENDING ON THE PLACEMENT OF THE TRANSPONDER WITHIN THE BAG.ADDITIONALLY, THE BAGS USE A DRAWSTRING SYSTEM TO CLOSE THE BAG, WHICH FORMS THE ROPE INTO A LOOP LEADING UP TO THE ATTACHMENT POINT. THE ROPE HAS TWO LARGE D RINGS, ONE OF WHICH ATTACHES TO THE CAROUSEL, WHICH ATTACHES TO THE LIFT LINE OF THE HELICOPTER.THE CAROUSEL HAS EIGHT ATTACHMENT HOOKS; HOWEVER, THE PILOT STATED HE ONLY LIFTS SIX BAGS AT A TIME. THE PILOT ADDED EACH BAG WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 220 LBS.