Helicopter pilot allows rotor blades to come in contact with tree top.

Attributes
ACN	160186
Time
Date	199010
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 110 agl bound upper : 110
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	160186
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : ground critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Upon completion of an external lift job the helicopter with the pilot leaning out the right side, lowering a 100' long line, settled onto the top of a tree to the left side of the aircraft. The safety observer in front of the aircraft with a radio was telling the pilot he was clear but the observer shifted his gaze to the line and away from the blades at the wrong moment. The second safety observer on top of the 20 story building where the load had been placed, hollered a warning to the pilot just as the main rotor blades struck the top of the tree. Although the ground safety observer was new he had been briefed prior to the lift and said he understood his responsibilities. He had been doing well when he allowed himself to become distraction. If a second pilot had been in the aircraft, this incident may not have happened. A second pilot is not normally used to keep aircraft weight down and the ground guide system has proven more effective over the yrs since they have a better view around the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER PLT ALLOWS ROTOR BLADES TO COME IN CONTACT WITH TREE TOP.

Narrative: UPON COMPLETION OF AN EXTERNAL LIFT JOB THE HELI WITH THE PLT LEANING OUT THE RIGHT SIDE, LOWERING A 100' LONG LINE, SETTLED ONTO THE TOP OF A TREE TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT. THE SAFETY OBSERVER IN FRONT OF THE ACFT WITH A RADIO WAS TELLING THE PLT HE WAS CLR BUT THE OBSERVER SHIFTED HIS GAZE TO THE LINE AND AWAY FROM THE BLADES AT THE WRONG MOMENT. THE SEC SAFETY OBSERVER ON TOP OF THE 20 STORY BUILDING WHERE THE LOAD HAD BEEN PLACED, HOLLERED A WARNING TO THE PLT JUST AS THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TOP OF THE TREE. ALTHOUGH THE GND SAFETY OBSERVER WAS NEW HE HAD BEEN BRIEFED PRIOR TO THE LIFT AND SAID HE UNDERSTOOD HIS RESPONSIBILITIES. HE HAD BEEN DOING WELL WHEN HE ALLOWED HIMSELF TO BECOME DISTR. IF A SEC PLT HAD BEEN IN THE ACFT, THIS INCIDENT MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED. A SEC PLT IS NOT NORMALLY USED TO KEEP ACFT WEIGHT DOWN AND THE GND GUIDE SYS HAS PROVEN MORE EFFECTIVE OVER THE YRS SINCE THEY HAVE A BETTER VIEW AROUND THE ACFT.

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.