20130822015309A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF · Reese, MI · August 22, 2013

Date: August 22, 2013 · 18:00 local
Place: Reese, MI
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: CUCL
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N975BW
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN13CA501
Reported as: Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF
Reported engine: Rolls-Royce 250 20&30 series
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.

Operation was for the repair of a fiber shoe that supports a fiber optic line that was attached to a tower about 200' above the ground. The lineman on board the helicopter was hoisting the line off the shoe using a hoist especially designed for this type of operation. It is only attached to the tower structure and line. A nylon strap that is part of the hoist failed, which caused the line to drop and hit the skid of the helicopter which caused the helicopter to immediately drop and the rotor blades contacted the tower structure. The pilot then pulled away from the tower and landed the helicopter next to the tower. There was no loss of control of the helicopter after the initial failure of the hoist device and line hitting the skid.

As the FAA filed it

OPERATION WAS FOR THE REPAIR OF A FIBER SHOE THAT SUPPORTS A FIBER OPTIC LINE THAT WAS ATTACHED TO A TOWER ABOUT 200' ABOVE THE GROUND. THE LINEMAN ON BOARD THE HELICOPTER WAS HOISTING THE LINE OFF THE SHOE USING A HOIST ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR THIS TYPE OF OPERATION. IT IS ONLY ATTACHED TO THE TOWER STRUCTURE AND LINE. A NYLON STRAP THAT IS PART OF THE HOIST FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE LINE TO DROP AND HIT THE SKID OF THE HELICOPTER WHICH CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO IMMEDIATELY DROP AND THE ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TOWER STRUCTURE. THE PILOT THEN PULLED AWAY FROM THE TOWER AND LANDED THE HELICOPTER NEXT TO THE TOWER. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURE OF THE HOIST DEVICE AND LINE HITTING THE SKID.

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 CEN13CA501Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportReese, MIThe failure of the temporary hoist holding the powerline wire which resulted in a brief loss of control and main rotor blade impacts with the tower.Aug 22, 2013 · Substantial damage