What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The operator was conducting flights at a remote location in Neets Bay, Alaska which is located approximately 29 miles north of ketchikan. The flights occurred between a main base on the beach to a landing pad located 2 miles inland. The purpose of the operation was transportation of a brush clearing crew of 6/equipment to prepare for installation of a powerline. After landing at the remote pad on the 4th flight of the morning to deliver equipment, the lead ground crewman approached the helicopter that was running at ground idle; the other 5 crew remained standing just beyond the rotor disk. Upon discovery that the chainsaw bar was not correct, the crewman turned away from the helicopter door and threw a chainsaw bar in an arcing motion. The bar contacted one of the main rotor blades. None of the crew were injured. Post shutdown inspection of the helicopter identified damage, including a hole, to the underside of one main rotor blade. Prior to the first flight of the day, the crew participated in an hour-long safety briefing with the pilot . The blade was determined to be not repairable.
As the FAA filed it
THE OPERATOR WAS CONDUCTING FLIGHTS AT A REMOTE LOCATION IN NEETS BAY, ALASKA WHICH IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 29 MILES NORTH OF KETCHIKAN. THE FLIGHTS OCCURRED BETWEEN A MAIN BASE ON THE BEACH TO A LANDING PAD LOCATED 2 MILES INLAND. THE PURPOSE OF THE OPERATION WAS TRANSPORTATION OF A BRUSH CLEARING CREW OF 6/EQUIPMENT TO PREPARE FOR INSTALLATION OF A POWERLINE. AFTER LANDING AT THE REMOTE PAD ON THE 4TH FLIGHT OF THE MORNING TO DELIVER EQUIPMENT, THE LEAD GROUND CREWMAN APPROACHED THE HELICOPTER THAT WAS RUNNING AT GROUND IDLE; THE OTHER 5 CREW REMAINED STANDING JUST BEYOND THE ROTOR DISK. UPON DISCOVERY THAT THE CHAINSAW BAR WAS NOT CORRECT, THE CREWMAN TURNED AWAY FROM THE HELICOPTER DOOR AND THREW A CHAINSAW BAR IN AN ARCING MOTION. THE BAR CONTACTED ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. NONE OF THE CREW WERE INJURED. POST SHUTDOWN INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER IDENTIFIED DAMAGE, INCLUDING A HOLE, TO THE UNDERSIDE OF ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE. PRIOR TO THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY, THE CREW PARTICIPATED IN AN HOUR-LONG SAFETY BRIEFING WITH THE PILOT . THE BLADE WAS DETERMINED TO BE NOT REPAIRABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N878CB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.