20180307001519A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Blair, WI · March 7, 2018

Date: March 7, 2018 · 14:00 local
Place: Blair, WI
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: 4HLL
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N499SL
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN18LA121
Reported as: Hughes 369D
Reported engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,350 total3,900 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days

N499SLRegistered now · Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DS/N 190448D · Built 1979 Airframe modelHughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D Engine modelRolls-Royce 250-C20BTurbo-shaft

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 March 7, 2018 a Hughes 369D helicopter, operated by high line helicopters LLC working out of lacrosse Wisconsin, was transporting human external cargo to support power line repair near Blair, Wisconsin. At approximately 1400 local time, at the work site the helicopter was taking off with a crew member attached to a cable, climbed out drifted into a live power line. The crew member struck the power line seriously injuring him. The helicopter was undamaged and the pilot received no injuries. Day visual meteorological condition prevailed at the time.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 7, 2018 A HUGHES 369D HELICOPTER, OPERATED BY HIGH LINE HELICOPTERS LLC WORKING OUT OF LACROSSE WISCONSIN, WAS TRANSPORTING HUMAN EXTERNAL CARGO TO SUPPORT POWER LINE REPAIR NEAR BLAIR, WISCONSIN. AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 LOCAL TIME, AT THE WORK SITE THE HELICOPTER WAS TAKING OFF WITH A CREW MEMBER ATTACHED TO A CABLE, CLIMBED OUT DRIFTED INTO A LIVE POWER LINE. THE CREW MEMBER STRUCK THE POWER LINE SERIOUSLY INJURING HIM. THE HELICOPTER WAS UNDAMAGED AND THE PILOT RECEIVED NO INJURIES. DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION PREVAILED AT THE TIME.

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 CEN18LA121Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBlair, WIThe pilot’s failure to recognize and compensate for hazards during the external load operation, which led to a collision between a lineman (external load) and a powerline.Mar 7, 2018 · No damage