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20120113002399I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Eurocopter AS 350 B3 · Protrero, CA · January 13, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
January 13, 2012 · 12:40 local
Place
Protrero, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
MHHA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N127DE
Reported as
Eurocopter AS 350 B3
Reported engine
Turbomeca ARRIUS-2B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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 performing an external load flight, transporting an air compressor on a long line, the helicopter's cargo hook released the load due to an undetermined mechanical fault. The air compressor fell from an altitude of 400 ft AGL and impacted the ground without damage to persons or property. The pilot indicates he did not inadvertently trigger the electrical or mechanical release switches. Mountain air helicopters has removed the cargo hook mechanism and returned it to the manufacturer, replacing it with a different make and model.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE PERFORMING AN EXTERNAL LOAD FLIGHT, TRANSPORTING AN AIR COMPRESSOR ON A LONG LINE, THE HELICOPTER'S CARGO HOOK RELEASED THE LOAD DUE TO AN UNDETERMINED MECHANICAL FAULT. THE AIR COMPRESSOR FELL FROM AN ALTITUDE OF 400 FT AGL AND IMPACTED THE GROUND WITHOUT DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY.THE PILOT INDICATES HE DID NOT INADVERTENTLY TRIGGER THE ELECTRICAL OR MECHANICAL RELEASE SWITCHES.MOUNTAIN AIR HELICOPTERS HAS REMOVED THE CARGO HOOK MECHANISM AND RETURNED IT TO THE MANUFACTURER, REPLACING IT WITH A DIFFERENT MAKE AND MODEL.