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C-GVHG accident description

Alaska map... Alaska list
Crash location 59.883333°N, 155.300000°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect.
Nearest city Iliamna, AK
59.752750°N, 154.822135°W
18.9 miles away
Tail number C-GVHG
Accident date 14 Jul 2004
Aircraft type Hughes 500D
Additional details: None

NTSB Factual Report

On July 14, 2004, about 1100 Alaska daylight time, a Canadian registered Hughes 500D helicopter, C-GVHG, sustained substantial damage when a ground crew member inadvertently threw a rope into the idling main rotor system at a remote mine site, about 20 miles west of Iliamna, Alaska. The helicopter was being operated by Prism Helicopter LTD, of Wasilla, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) external load flight under Title 14, CFR Part 133, when the accident occurred. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 15, the pilot said the helicopter was sitting and running at flight-idle while he and two helpers prepared a sling load. He said he was climbing into the helicopter, and did not see the activity, but one of the helpers standing near the cargo door threw a rope to the other helper. He said the rope was inadvertently tossed into the main rotor system, and wrapped around the rotor head. The pilot said that the main rotor blades and rotor head received structural damage during the encounter with the rope. He noted that there were no known mechanical anomalies with the helicopter prior to the accident.

During a telephone conversation with the IIC on July 15, the director of operations for the operator said ground crew members receive specific training for handling ropes and equipment around operating helicopters.

NTSB Probable Cause

The ground crew's failure to use proper procedures while securing a sling load to the helicopter, which resulted in foreign object damage to the helicopter's main rotor system while idling.

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