- Date
- July 16, 2020, 15:14 local (23:14 UTC)
- Place
- Homer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1432DBell 206L-1
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200716018099A
- Case key
- 101627
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 pilot's failure to see and avoid the boat's mast, which resulted in a main rotor blade strike. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning by not having the boat's mast measured.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during maneuvering for external load operations to a boat, the helicopter suddenly began to shake violently. He immediately realized the helicopter had struck the boat with the main rotor blades; he jettisoned the 50 ft longline, the skid-based emergency flotation system was activated, and the helicopter landed on the water without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed that the helicopter had struck the boat's mast and sustained substantial damage to the two main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further added, he should have measured the boat mast height prior to operation instead of visually estimating the height and instead used a 100 ft long-line.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during maneuvering for external load operations to a boat, the helicopter suddenly began to shake violently. He immediately realized the helicopter had struck the boat with the main rotor blades; he jettisoned the 50 ft longline, the skid-based emergency flotation system was activated, and the helicopter landed on the water without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed that the helicopter had struck the boat's mast and sustained substantial damage to the two main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further added, he should have measured the boat mast height prior to operation instead of visually estimating the height and instead used a 100 ft long-line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1432D
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45741
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 21,432.5
- Engine
- Rolls Royce Allison 250-C30P, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Egli Air Haul Inc
- Registered owner
- Heliotrope Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 1, 2020
- Departed
- N/A · Augustine Islan, AK
- Destination
- Homer, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Satellite tracking device, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 20, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 26,995 total · 521 in this make and model · 26,769 as pilot in command · 117 in the last 90 days · 61 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- PASO, 56 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.