# Accident 20140404004079A: Agustawestland Spa AW109SP, Astoria, OR, April 4, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 4, 2014, 23:33 local time
- Place: Astoria, OR
- Airport: Astoria
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: BV0L
- Location: 46.1100° N, 124.1100° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.1100&lon=-124.1100&mi=10
- Aircraft: N361CR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N361CR-2025-02-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Agustawestland AW109SP (registry code 0260116, https://openairdocs.org/model/agustawestland-aw109sp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207C (registry code 52203, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw207c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AGUSTAWESTLAND SPA AW109SP
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PW207C
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 5,655 total, 555 in this make and model, 63 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR14LA160](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA160) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140404004079A

## Narrative

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

ACCORDING TO PILOT'S NARRATIVE, EVENT OCCURRED AFTER HE LOST VISUAL REFERENCE TO THE VESSEL THEY HAD JUST HOISTED THE BAR PILOT DOWN TO.  WHEN HE LOST THE VISUAL REFERENCE, THE PIC STARTED TO MOVE THE HELO AFT TO REGAIN THE PICTURE.  THIS CAUSED THE HOIST CABLE TO START PULLING THE PERSON ON THE END OF THE CABLE UP OFF THE DECK.  THE HOIST OPERATOR IMMEDIATELY SHEARED THE CABLE ONCE HE REALIZED HE COULD NOT PAY OUT THE CABLE FAST ENOUGH.

THE PERSON ON THE END OF THE CABLE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURY WHEN THEY FELL BACK TO THE DECK.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR14LA160](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA160), Apr 5, 2014: Agustawestland AW109SP (N361CR), Astoria, OR, no damage. Probable cause: The decision by the ship pilot and the helicopter crew to lower the ship pilot to a location on the ship that did not provide the helicopter pilot with an adequate view of the ship. Contributing to…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.