Cpr helicopter hit a tree returning to the staging area.

Attributes
ACN	159907
Time
Date	199010
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aap
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 25 agl bound upper : 25
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	159907
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Helicopter performed 1 external lift operation lifting a small hot tub to the roof of a penthouse. The ground crew spotted the helicopter via radio communications with our pilot. After setting the pool, the pilot returned to the staging area to terminate the operation. While watching the 100' long line (looking outside the right door) the pilot was utilizing the ground crewman to clear the helicopter from any obstacles. The ground crewman failed to see a large tree behind and to the left of the helicopter. As this is also a blind area to the pilot. He also failed to see the tree. The helicopter descended into the tree, the rotor blade hitting the tree top. The pilot felt the blade strikes and immediately pulled pitch and moved to the right and landed with no further problems. Damage to the helicopter was limited to the outboard 2' of the main rotor blades training edges. Blades were changed on the spot and helicopter was brought back to the main base. Company is reviewing both ground and flight crew procedures for part 133 operations to find out if better coordination is possible. Company is looking into the stress factors involved in part 133 operations vs induced stress from ongoing problems within the company.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR HELICOPTER HIT A TREE RETURNING TO THE STAGING AREA.

Narrative: HELI PERFORMED 1 EXTERNAL LIFT OPERATION LIFTING A SMALL HOT TUB TO THE ROOF OF A PENTHOUSE. THE GND CREW SPOTTED THE HELI VIA RADIO COMS WITH OUR PLT. AFTER SETTING THE POOL, THE PLT RETURNED TO THE STAGING AREA TO TERMINATE THE OPERATION. WHILE WATCHING THE 100' LONG LINE (LOOKING OUTSIDE THE RIGHT DOOR) THE PLT WAS UTILIZING THE GND CREWMAN TO CLR THE HELI FROM ANY OBSTACLES. THE GND CREWMAN FAILED TO SEE A LARGE TREE BEHIND AND TO THE LEFT OF THE HELI. AS THIS IS ALSO A BLIND AREA TO THE PLT. HE ALSO FAILED TO SEE THE TREE. THE HELI DSNDED INTO THE TREE, THE ROTOR BLADE HITTING THE TREE TOP. THE PLT FELT THE BLADE STRIKES AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED PITCH AND MOVED TO THE RIGHT AND LANDED WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. DAMAGE TO THE HELI WAS LIMITED TO THE OUTBOARD 2' OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TRAINING EDGES. BLADES WERE CHANGED ON THE SPOT AND HELI WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE MAIN BASE. COMPANY IS REVIEWING BOTH GND AND FLT CREW PROCS FOR PART 133 OPS TO FIND OUT IF BETTER COORD IS POSSIBLE. COMPANY IS LOOKING INTO THE STRESS FACTORS INVOLVED IN PART 133 OPS VS INDUCED STRESS FROM ONGOING PROBS WITHIN THE COMPANY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.