What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A lift occurred on November 16, 2013, where the crew and aircraft dropped an empty sling harness from the aircraft causing minor building damage in the safe area and destruction of the sling harness.
The crew interview revealed the right seat pilot (privacy data omitted) was flying the aircraft when they cleared the building and was beginning the descent to the loading area. The right seat pilot (privacy data omitted) then transferred aircraft control to the left seat pilot (privacy data omitted) who inadvertently pressed the jettison button on the cyclic during the transfer and jettisoned the sling harness.
The left seat pilot (privacy data omitted) had previous experience with the company doing firefighting duties with a fixed load in the aircraft and recently was trained for construction lifts with a jettisonable load
A conversation with the assistant chief pilot, on 12/12/13 added information by stating privacy data omitted had briefed him the release probably happend when privacy data omitted pressed the intercom rocker switch upward on the front of the cyclic to say the verbal part of the transfer of aircraft control and inadvertently pressed downward with his thumb on the back of the cyclic for leverage and pushed the release button. This information matches the right seat pilot's statement that the harness was released about one to two seconds after the controls were transferred. privacy data omitted Then stated he passed techniques to privacy data omitted to prevent such actions from happening again.
The training will be completed by the operator, with the assigned poi oversight.
As the FAA filed it
A LIFT OCCURRED ON NOVEMBER 16, 2013, WHERE THE CREW AND AIRCRAFT DROPPED AN EMPTY SLING HARNESS FROM THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING MINOR BUILDING DAMAGE IN THE SAFE AREA AND DESTRUCTION OF THE SLING HARNESS.
THE CREW INTERVIEW REVEALED THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THEY CLEARED THE BUILDING AND WAS BEGINNING THE DESCENT TO THE LOADING AREA. THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) THEN TRANSFERRED AIRCRAFT CONTROL TO THE LEFT SEAT PILOT (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) WHO INADVERTENTLY PRESSED THE JETTISON BUTTON ON THE CYCLIC DURING THE TRANSFER AND JETTISONED THE SLING HARNESS.
THE LEFT SEAT PILOT (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) HAD PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THE COMPANY DOING FIREFIGHTING DUTIES WITH A FIXED LOAD IN THE AIRCRAFT AND RECENTLY WAS TRAINED FOR CONSTRUCTION LIFTS WITH A JETTISONABLE LOAD
A CONVERSATION WITH THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PILOT, ON 12/12/13 ADDED INFORMATION BY STATING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD BRIEFED HIM THE RELEASE PROBABLY HAPPEND WHEN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PRESSED THE INTERCOM ROCKER SWITCH UPWARD ON THE FRONT OF THE CYCLIC TO SAY THE VERBAL PART OF THE TRANSFER OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND INADVERTENTLY PRESSED DOWNWARD WITH HIS THUMB ON THE BACK OF THE CYCLIC FOR LEVERAGE AND PUSHED THE RELEASE BUTTON. THIS INFORMATION MATCHES THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT'S STATEMENT THAT THE HARNESS WAS RELEASED ABOUT ONE TO TWO SECONDS AFTER THE CONTROLS WERE TRANSFERRED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN STATED HE PASSED TECHNIQUES TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO PREVENT SUCH ACTIONS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.
THE TRAINING WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE OPERATOR, WITH THE ASSIGNED POI OVERSIGHT.