- Date
- July 14, 2004, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Iliamna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- C-GVHGHughes 500D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Anchorage FSDO-03
- Case key
- 59650
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The ground crew's failure to use proper procedures while securing a sling load to the helicopter, which resulted in foreign object damage to the helicopter's main rotor system while idling.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The commercial helicopter pilot reported the helicopter was sitting and running at flight-idle while he and two helpers prepared a sling load. He said he was climbing into the helicopter, and did not see the activity, but one of the helpers standing near the cargo door threw a rope to the other helper. He said the rope was inadvertently tossed into the main rotor system, and wrapped around the rotor head. The pilot indicated that the main rotor blades and rotor head received structural damage during the encounter with the rope.
Factual narrative
On July 14, 2004, about 1100 Alaska daylight time, a Canadian registered Hughes 500D helicopter, C-GVHG, sustained substantial damage when a ground crew member inadvertently threw a rope into the idling main rotor system at a remote mine site, about 20 miles west of Iliamna, Alaska. The helicopter was being operated by Prism Helicopter LTD, of Wasilla, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) external load flight under Title 14, CFR Part 133, when the accident occurred. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 15, the pilot said the helicopter was sitting and running at flight-idle while he and two helpers prepared a sling load. He said he was climbing into the helicopter, and did not see the activity, but one of the helpers standing near the cargo door threw a rope to the other helper. He said the rope was inadvertently tossed into the main rotor system, and wrapped around the rotor head. The pilot said that the main rotor blades and rotor head received structural damage during the encounter with the rope. He noted that there were no known mechanical anomalies with the helicopter prior to the accident.
During a telephone conversation with the IIC on July 15, the director of operations for the operator said ground crew members receive specific training for handling ropes and equipment around operating helicopters.
Aircraft
- Registration
- C-GVHG
- Reported as
- Hughes 500D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 310916D
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 375 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 133
- Operator
- Prism Helicopters Ltd
- Registered owner
- Prism Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PAIL · Iliamna, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,595 total · 1,137 in this make and model · 1,450 as pilot in command · 408 in the last 90 days · 141 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F