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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Pilot of an external load helicopter struck trees during an external load operation, in mountainous area, causing damage to the main rotor blade. After landing nearby to assess possible damage to the aircraft and then subsequently flying the aircraft off the mountain to a safe area for maintenance inspection and repair as needed without a mechanic's signoff.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 374839 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : wa04 |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 150 agl bound upper : 150 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 374839 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While performing an external load with 150 ft line my main rotor blades contacted the top of a tree on the upslope side of the mountain, just as the load was placed on the ground. I then released the load without damage to it and maneuvered the aircraft downslope and landed on a logging road. There was no change in the flight characteristics of the aircraft at this time. After landing, I determined that there was limited damage to the blades. I determined that it would be safe to relocate the aircraft to an area where the aircraft safety and integrity would not be jeopardized by the vehicle traffic that may be on this logging road. I then relocated the aircraft to an area off the mountain where it would be safe. The flight was done over remote unpopulated areas without hazards to persons or property on the ground. The flight was completed without further incident and is non rptable per FARS.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN EXTERNAL LOAD HELI STRUCK TREES DURING AN EXTERNAL LOAD OP, IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE. AFTER LNDG NEARBY TO ASSESS POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY FLYING THE ACFT OFF THE MOUNTAIN TO A SAFE AREA FOR MAINT INSPECTION AND REPAIR AS NEEDED WITHOUT A MECH'S SIGNOFF.
Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING AN EXTERNAL LOAD WITH 150 FT LINE MY MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TOP OF A TREE ON THE UPSLOPE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, JUST AS THE LOAD WAS PLACED ON THE GND. I THEN RELEASED THE LOAD WITHOUT DAMAGE TO IT AND MANEUVERED THE ACFT DOWNSLOPE AND LANDED ON A LOGGING ROAD. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ACFT AT THIS TIME. AFTER LNDG, I DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS LIMITED DAMAGE TO THE BLADES. I DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO RELOCATE THE ACFT TO AN AREA WHERE THE ACFT SAFETY AND INTEGRITY WOULD NOT BE JEOPARDIZED BY THE VEHICLE TFC THAT MAY BE ON THIS LOGGING ROAD. I THEN RELOCATED THE ACFT TO AN AREA OFF THE MOUNTAIN WHERE IT WOULD BE SAFE. THE FLT WAS DONE OVER REMOTE UNPOPULATED AREAS WITHOUT HAZARDS TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON THE GND. THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND IS NON RPTABLE PER FARS.
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.