20130722017699A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Bell HH-1H · Mt. Charleston, NV · July 22, 2013

Date: July 22, 2013 · 22:20 local
Place: Mt. Charleston, NV
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N233JP
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13GA338
Reported as: Bell HH-1H
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,592 total92 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N233JPRegistered now · Bell HH-1HS/N 70-2478 Airframe modelBell HH-1H

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 07-22-13 at approximately 2220 hours, a Bell HH-1H helicopter, operated by the las vegas metropolitan police department responded to an area within the mount Charleston national forest to rescue a stranded hiker.

During the course of the rescue, a rescue officer was lowered to the hiker, via an onboard rescue hoist, onto a small rock ledge located on a large sheer vertical rock wall. After securing the hiker to the hoist line, while the helicopter crew was in the process of raising the rescue officer and the stranded hiker back up to the helicopter, the rescue officer became detached from the hoist line and fell to the ground.

The rescue officer was later found to have sustained fatal injuries in the fall.

None of the involved equipment on the aircraft or affixed to the rescue officer was found to have malfunctioned.

As the FAA filed it

ON 07-22-13 AT APPROXIMATELY 2220 HOURS, A BELL HH-1H HELICOPTER, OPERATED BY THE LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO AN AREA WITHIN THE MOUNT CHARLESTON NATIONAL FOREST TO RESCUE A STRANDED HIKER.

DURING THE COURSE OF THE RESCUE, A RESCUE OFFICER WAS LOWERED TO THE HIKER, VIA AN ONBOARD RESCUE HOIST, ONTO A SMALL ROCK LEDGE LOCATED ON A LARGE SHEER VERTICAL ROCK WALL. AFTER SECURING THE HIKER TO THE HOIST LINE, WHILE THE HELICOPTER CREW WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RAISING THE RESCUE OFFICER AND THE STRANDED HIKER BACK UP TO THE HELICOPTER, THE RESCUE OFFICER BECAME DETACHED FROM THE HOIST LINE AND FELL TO THE GROUND.

THE RESCUE OFFICER WAS LATER FOUND TO HAVE SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES IN THE FALL.

NONE OF THE INVOLVED EQUIPMENT ON THE AIRCRAFT OR AFFIXED TO THE RESCUE OFFICER WAS FOUND TO HAVE MALFUNCTIONED.

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 WPR13GA338Accident · 1 fatalFinal reportMount Charleston, NVThe premature hoisting operation and the inadvertent disengagement of the hoist hook on the rescuer’s harness in dark night conditions. Contributing to the accident was a lack of direct audio communication between the rescuer and the hoist operator.Jul 23, 2013 · No damage

Other reports on N233JP · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20120518012079IHover/Holding · Las Vegas, NVWind shifted during complex training flight causing rotor blade to come in contact with canyon wall.May 18, 2012 · Minor damage