Accident Hughes 369D N362JS,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 211254
 
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Date:Sunday 20 May 2018
Time:10:49
Type:Silhouette image of generic H500 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Hughes 369D
Owner/operator:Air2, Llc
Registration: N362JS
MSN: 300676D
Year of manufacture:1980
Total airframe hrs:17963 hours
Engine model:Rolls Royce 250-C20B
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Boutte, LA -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:External load operation
Departure airport:Reserve, LA (APS)
Destination airport:Luling, LA
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The commercial pilot and two crewmembers of the helicopter were performing external load operations to repair high-tension power line structures. The pilot reported that, during the fourth repair of the flight, he was hovering the helicopter next to the power line structure when he noticed a "rumbling" and the helicopter descending. The helicopter impacted the ground beneath the structure, seriously injuring one of the two crewmembers, while the second crewmember sustained fatal injuries.

Examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The power line structure displayed paint transfer consistent in color with that of the helicopter. There was also a puncture hole about 6 inches in length under the upper horizontal plate of the structure, consistent with the dimensions of a main rotor blade. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain clearance from the power line structure while hovering, resulting in contact with the structure.

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the powerline structure while hovering, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the structure and an uncontrolled descent into terrain.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN18FA182
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 11 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

Location

Media:

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
20-May-2018 19:04 gerard57 Added
20-May-2018 19:45 gerard57 Updated [Aircraft type, Total occupants, Source]
20-May-2018 19:48 gerard57 Updated [Narrative]
20-May-2018 20:00 Anon. Updated [Operator, Source]
20-May-2018 20:08 Anon. Updated [Aircraft type, Source]
20-May-2018 20:10 harro Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Source, Narrative]
20-May-2018 20:16 Aerossurance Updated [Aircraft type, Phase, Nature, Narrative]
20-May-2018 20:25 Aerossurance Updated [Narrative]
20-May-2018 20:47 Iceman 29 Updated [Embed code]
20-May-2018 20:50 Iceman 29 Updated [Time, Embed code]
21-May-2018 05:26 Iceman 29 Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Embed code]
21-May-2018 06:10 Aerossurance Updated [Operator, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
03-Nov-2018 07:52 harro Updated [Aircraft type]
23-Apr-2020 09:36 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ]

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