- Date
- August 22, 2013, 17:48 local (21:48 UTC)
- Place
- Reese, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N975BWMcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Eastern Michigan FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130822015309A
- Case key
- 87845
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 failure of the temporary hoist holding the powerline wire which resulted in a brief loss of control and main rotor blade impacts with the tower.
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 helicopter was conducting an electrical power line construction operation with a lineman standing outside on the skid. The wire was temporarily suspended by a hoist and the lineman was inserting a fiber shoe to attach the wire to the arm of the tower. While the helicopter was hovering next to the wire at about 200 feet above ground level the hoist slipped and the wire fell onto the top of the helicopter's skid. Control was briefly lost and four of the helicopter's main rotor blades impacted the tower resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot quickly regained control and made an emergency landing in tall corn about 200 feet from the accident location.
Factual narrative
The helicopter was conducting an electrical power line construction operation with a lineman standing outside on the skid. The wire was temporarily suspended by a hoist and the lineman was inserting a fiber shoe to attach the wire to the arm of the tower. While the helicopter was hovering next to the wire at about 200 feet above ground level the hoist slipped and the wire fell onto the top of the helicopter's skid. Control was briefly lost and four of the helicopter's main rotor blades impacted the tower resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot quickly regained control and made an emergency landing in tall corn about 200 feet from the accident location.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N975BW
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0103FF
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 3,451
- Engine
- Rolls-Royc 250 20&30 SER, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Rogers Helicopters Inc, doing business as Rogers Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Robin Rogers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · August 18, 2013 · 44 hours before
- Departed
- MBS · Saginaw, MI
- Destination
- MBS · Saginaw, MI
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 4,500 in this make and model · 150 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KMBS, 8 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 22, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 565 KB 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.