What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description of the deviation:
0830 Am, normal start to the day. Foreman laid out plan to pilot before take-off, which was to pick up and move 2 linemen off of structures, placing the first lineman on a new structure and to move the second to the ground at different location.
The first lineman wasn’t ready to be moved, so he proceeded to the second. After locating and lifting the next lineman from the structure and moving to the location where lineman was supposed to be placed on ground (per the brief from the foreman). The lineman on the line pointed backward toward a different structure that he wanted to be placed on. The lineman guided the pilot to the structure he wanted to go via hand and arm signals as radio communication was difficult due to the noise when the lineman was under the aircraft. Upon arriving at the structure, the lineman wanted to be placed on, the pilot decided to reposition and reorient the aircraft, so he had a better view of where the lineman was to be placed.
Once placed on the structure, the lineman stayed connected to the aircraft (which is not typical) and proceeded to climb down between 5 lines to work on disconnecting a block being used to run a new line. While doing this, the line connecting the lineman to the aircraft ended up being pulled at an angle under one of the powerlines as the weight of the powerline was pulling the longline. The pilot attempted to maneuver to a position where the powerline and line attached to the aircraft were not becoming entangled and the main rotor blades contacted the top of the wooden pole structure of the powerlines. The pilot immediately increased power to climb away from the wooden pole, noting a vibration started after the contact. The pilot said the lineman was only 10-15’ off the ground so he activated the primary and secondary release on the 2-hook system that the longline was attached to, dropping the lineman to the ground, then regained control of the aircraft and flew down the mountain to the lz as there was no place to land in the vicinity of where the incident took place.
The aircraft was inspected and only minor abrasions to the underside of each rotorblade were noted.
The lineman sustained minor injuries.
Causaul and/or contributing factors:
The lineman did not disconnect from the aircraft after he was placed on the second structure. According to the pilot this is not typical and was not briefed. Additionally, placing the lineman on a second structure was also not briefed, as the original plan was to pick the lineman from the first structure and move him to a location on the ground.
No ATC actions contributory to the event.
No recommendations for systemic corrective action.
Action taken to correct problem and prevent reoccurance:
Compliance action – counseling. The pilot was counseled on pre-flight planning and briefing for these types of operations, vigilance, situational awareness and aeronautical decision making.
Sas record #: NM05202402046
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVIATION:
0830 AM, NORMAL START TO THE DAY. FOREMAN LAID OUT PLAN TO PILOT BEFORE TAKE-OFF, WHICH WAS TO PICK UP AND MOVE 2 LINEMEN OFF OF STRUCTURES, PLACING THE FIRST LINEMAN ON A NEW STRUCTURE AND TO MOVE THE SECOND TO THE GROUND AT DIFFERENT LOCATION.
THE FIRST LINEMAN WASN’T READY TO BE MOVED, SO HE PROCEEDED TO THE SECOND. AFTER LOCATING AND LIFTING THE NEXT LINEMAN FROM THE STRUCTURE AND MOVING TO THE LOCATION WHERE LINEMAN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PLACED ON GROUND (PER THE BRIEF FROM THE FOREMAN). THE LINEMAN ON THE LINE POINTED BACKWARD TOWARD A DIFFERENT STRUCTURE THAT HE WANTED TO BE PLACED ON. THE LINEMAN GUIDED THE PILOT TO THE STRUCTURE HE WANTED TO GO VIA HAND AND ARM SIGNALS AS RADIO COMMUNICATION WAS DIFFICULT DUE TO THE NOISE WHEN THE LINEMAN WAS UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. UPON ARRIVING AT THE STRUCTURE, THE LINEMAN WANTED TO BE PLACED ON, THE PILOT DECIDED TO REPOSITION AND REORIENT THE AIRCRAFT, SO HE HAD A BETTER VIEW OF WHERE THE LINEMAN WAS TO BE PLACED.
ONCE PLACED ON THE STRUCTURE, THE LINEMAN STAYED CONNECTED TO THE AIRCRAFT (WHICH IS NOT TYPICAL) AND PROCEEDED TO CLIMB DOWN BETWEEN 5 LINES TO WORK ON DISCONNECTING A BLOCK BEING USED TO RUN A NEW LINE. WHILE DOING THIS, THE LINE CONNECTING THE LINEMAN TO THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP BEING PULLED AT AN ANGLE UNDER ONE OF THE POWERLINES AS THE WEIGHT OF THE POWERLINE WAS PULLING THE LONGLINE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER TO A POSITION WHERE THE POWERLINE AND LINE ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT WERE NOT BECOMING ENTANGLED AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TOP OF THE WOODEN POLE STRUCTURE OF THE POWERLINES. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY INCREASED POWER TO CLIMB AWAY FROM THE WOODEN POLE, NOTING A VIBRATION STARTED AFTER THE CONTACT. THE PILOT SAID THE LINEMAN WAS ONLY 10-15’ OFF THE GROUND SO HE ACTIVATED THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RELEASE ON THE 2-HOOK SYSTEM THAT THE LONGLINE WAS ATTACHED TO, DROPPING THE LINEMAN TO THE GROUND, THEN REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FLEW DOWN THE MOUNTAIN TO THE LZ AS THERE WAS NO PLACE TO LAND IN THE VICINITY OF WHERE THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND ONLY MINOR ABRASIONS TO THE UNDERSIDE OF EACH ROTORBLADE WERE NOTED.
THE LINEMAN SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
CAUSAUL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
THE LINEMAN DID NOT DISCONNECT FROM THE AIRCRAFT AFTER HE WAS PLACED ON THE SECOND STRUCTURE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THIS IS NOT TYPICAL AND WAS NOT BRIEFED. ADDITIONALLY, PLACING THE LINEMAN ON A SECOND STRUCTURE WAS ALSO NOT BRIEFED, AS THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO PICK THE LINEMAN FROM THE FIRST STRUCTURE AND MOVE HIM TO A LOCATION ON THE GROUND.
NO ATC ACTIONS CONTRIBUTORY TO THE EVENT.
NO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION.
ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT PROBLEM AND PREVENT REOCCURANCE:
COMPLIANCE ACTION – COUNSELING. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED ON PRE-FLIGHT PLANNING AND BRIEFING FOR THESE TYPES OF OPERATIONS, VIGILANCE, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING.
SAS RECORD #: NM05202402046
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