# Incident 20131116023269I: Erickson S64F, Houston, TX, November 16, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 16, 2013, 13:15 local time
- Place: Houston, TX
- Airport: Hobby Airport
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: E8KL
- Location: 29.7633° N, 95.3633° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Houston, TX, within about 14 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.7633&lon=-95.3633&mi=10
- Aircraft: N171AC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N171AC-2021-05-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Erickson S-64F (registry code 7400001, https://openairdocs.org/model/erickson-s-64f) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney JFTD12A-5A (registry code 51504, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jftd12a-5a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ERICKSON S64F
- Reported engine: P & W JFTD12A-5A
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 5,318 total, 1,105 in this make and model, 123 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20131116023269I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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