- Date
- September 16, 2023, 10:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Johnson River, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N297SHEurocopter AS 350 B3
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: External load event (Rotorcraft)
- 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
- 20230916013319A
- Case key
- 193130
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 remain clear of a tag line during sling load operations, resulting in his entanglement.
Findings · 2
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 operator reported that during a sling load operation, one of the ground crew became entangled in a tag line as the helicopter began to lift the load. He was dragged across the deck, freed himself, and subsequently fell to the ground. In the operators written statement, it was noted the ground crew member was initially hidden from the pilot’s view as he began to lift the sling load. The helicopter was not damaged, but the ground crew personnel sustained serious injuries. The operator reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N297SH
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 B3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7429
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 1,480
- Engine
- Safran Arriel 2D, 952 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Soloy Helicopters LLC
- Registered owner
- Jc Aircraft Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 18, 2023
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 24, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 15,300 total · 9,500 in this make and model · 15,200 as pilot in command · 260 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 3, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.