# Fatal NTSB investigations: External load event (Rotorcraft)

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB CEN21LA102](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA102.md): Hughes 369D · Tuckers Crossing, MS · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Dec 29, 2020 · N103SU · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s loss of helicopter control when the external saw contacted trees during an attempted emergency landing due to a main rotor transmission oil pressure warning. The reason that the pilot did not release the external saw from the helicopter during the…
- [NTSB WPR20LA244](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA244.md): American Eurocopter AS350 · Pioche, NV · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 29, 2020 · N755AE · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude from terrain and subsequent loss of helicopter control due to entanglement of the external load cable with the tail rotor.
- [NTSB WPR20LA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA163.md): Bell 206 · Fairfield, CA · Accident · 3 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jun 2, 2020 · N65PJ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from powerlines while conducting external load operations, which resulted in the main rotor contacting a wire and a subsequent collision with terrain.
- [NTSB CEN19FA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19FA020.md): Hughes 369 · McDougal, AR · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 2 · Field · Final report · Nov 2, 2018 · N5187S · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain the helicopter's clearance from the powerline structure while hovering in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the structure and an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
- [NTSB ERA18FA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18FA122.md): MD Helicopter 600 · Smethport, PA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 8, 2018 · N602BP · Destroyed
  > The helicopter pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance during power line construction work, which resulted in the helicopter's main rotor striking and becoming entangled with a wire and a subsequent dynamic rollover and collision with terrain.…
- [NTSB CEN18LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA026.md): Hughes 369D · Sulphur, LA · Accident · 2 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 7, 2017 · N138WH · No damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate separation between a long line being used to hoist linemen from a shield wire during an external load flight, which resulted in the long line being severed.
- [NTSB CEN17FA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17FA127.md): Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF · Chalmers, IN · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Mar 14, 2017 · N530KD · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to ensure that the needle did not entangle with the tower's vertical lattice as he moved the helicopter rearward, which resulted in the helicopter becoming tethered to the tower and a subsequent loss of control.
- [NTSB ERA16LA253](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA253.md): Bell 429 · Georgetown, DE · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 11, 2016 · N1SP · No damage
  > The emergency response team's failure to ensure that the system operator was secured to the helicopter, which resulted in his fall during the recurrent rescue hoist training operation.
- [NTSB CEN15FA210](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15FA210.md): Eurocopter Deutschland MBB BK 117 C-2 · Austin, TX · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 28, 2015 · N392TC · No damage
  > The helicopter rescue specialist was not properly attached to the hoist system, which resulted in a fall during a night hoist operation.
- [NTSB ANC14FA030](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC14FA030.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Chugiak, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 28, 2014 · N392GP · Destroyed
  > The pilot's loss of control of the helicopter due to impairment or incapacitation from a sudden, acute cardiac event.
- [NTSB CEN13LA461](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA461.md): Hughes 369D · Ackerly, TX · Accident · 2 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 5, 2013 · N8688F · No damage
  > The pilot’s failure to identify and maintain adequate clearance from a shield wire that was suspended between power transmission line towers.
- [NTSB WPR13GA338](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13GA338.md): Bell HH-1H · Mount Charleston, NV · Accident · 1 fatal · Final report · Jul 23, 2013 · N233JP · No damage
  > The premature hoisting operation and the inadvertent disengagement of the hoist hook on the rescuer’s harness in dark night conditions. Contributing to the accident was a lack of direct audio communication between the rescuer and the hoist operator.
- [NTSB CEN13FA075](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA075.md): Hughes 369 · Childress, TX · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 27, 2012 · N28MP · Substantial damage
  > The improper maintenance of the helicopter fuel system that resulted in erroneous fuel gauge indications and the pilot’s inadequate fuel management, both of which resulted in fuel exhaustion during a long-line hover. Also causal was the lack of company…
- [NTSB WPR11WA421](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11WA421.md): Hughes 369D · South Malekula, Vanuatu, Vanuatu · Accident · 1 fatal · Foreign investigation · Aug 28, 2011 · YJ-HEL · Substantial damage
  > On August 28, 2011, at 1500 universal coordinated time, a Hughes 369D, Vanuatu registration YJ-HEL, collided with the ground after the attached long-line became entangled in the rotor system near Malekula, Vanuatu. The helicopter was operated by Vanuatu…
- [NTSB ERA11FA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA042.md): MD Helicopters 369E · Thomas, WV · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 30, 2010 · N765WH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to clear the helicopter and its external load from surrounding structures and his failure to execute a timely release of the external load, which resulted in an inadvertent entanglement and collision with wires and terrain. Contributing to…
- [NTSB WPR10FA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA012.md): Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF · Fossil, OR · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 12, 2009 · N527SH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a power pole to which he was connecting wire-pulling ropes.
- [NTSB CEN09WA612](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09WA612.md): Eurocopter AS350 · Barcelona, Spain · Accident · 2 fatal · Foreign investigation · Jun 22, 2009 · EC-IOJ · Destroyed
  > On June 22, 2009 a Eurocopter AS350B3, Spanish registration EC-IOJ was destroyed while filling the fire attack system with water during a fire extinguishing operation. The pilot and passenger both were killed. According to several witness statements, the…

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."highestInjuryLevel" = 'Fatal'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '480' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/480/sequence?fatal=1

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