Docket And Docket Items - National Transportation Safety Board: http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
http://registry.faa.govN8688F
NTSB Identification: CEN13LA461
14 CFR Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
Accident occurred Monday, August 05, 2013 in Ackerly, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/02/2013
Aircraft: HUGHES 369D, registration: N8688F
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The helicopter was being used to hoist linemen onto a power transmission line tower. Two linemen were suspended beneath the helicopter on a 100-foot-long external cargo line (long-line). Shortly after departure, as the helicopter was climbing, the long-line collided with a shield wire that was suspended between two towers. The operator reported that the long-line severed about 5 feet above the linemen, who fell about 200 feet to the ground. The pilot returned to the landing zone and made an uneventful landing. The operator reported that there were no preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have prevented normal operation.
The pilot stated that the shield wire had not been identified or discussed during the preflight briefing. He reported that the clear sky condition and the morning light made the shield wire impossible to see from the ground. Additionally, he stated that it was uncommon for the shield wire, the uppermost wire on a power transmission line, to be installed before the lower conductor wires had been installed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to identify and maintain adequate clearance from a shield wire that was suspended between power transmission line towers.
On August 5, 2013, at 0915 central daylight time, a Hughes model 369D helicopter, N8688F, was not damaged when its external cargo long-line was severed after colliding with a shield wire suspended between power transmission towers near Ackerly, Texas. The two linemen who were being hoisted on the long-line were fatally injured after falling about 200 feet to the ground after the collision. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Haverfield Aviation Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 as an external load flight, without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which was operating from a landing zone situated near the accident site.
According to the operator, the helicopter was equipped with a 100-foot long external cargo long-line that was being used to hoist linemen onto power transmission towers. Shortly after departure, as the helicopter was climbing toward the transmission tower, the long-line collided with a shield wire suspended between transmission towers. The operator reported that the long-line severed about 5 feet above the linemen. The pilot returned to the landing zone and made an uneventful landing. The operator did not report any malfunction or failures with the helicopter that would have prevented normal operation.
The pilot reported that during his repositioning flight he noticed that there were multiple power lines and shield cables erected on the tower structures located to the north and west of the tower to be serviced. After landing, he completed a preflight briefing with the two linemen assigned to his helicopter. After the briefing, the helicopter was brought into a 100-foot hover above the landing zone while the two linemen secured themselves to the long-line below. The pilot reported that as he maneuvered toward the tower he briefly noticed a slight kink in the long-line carrying the linemen before it was severed. The pilot stated that the shield wire installed on the tower had not been identified or discussed during the preflight briefing. He reported that the clear sky condition and the morning light made the shield wire impossible to see from the ground. Additionally, he stated that it was uncommon for shield wire to be installed on the upper tower structures before the lower line work had been completed.
The nearest aviation weather reporting station was located at Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport (KBPG), Big Spring, Texas, about 20 miles southeast of the accident site. At 0915, the KBPG automated surface observing system reported: wind from 160 degrees at 11 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 28 degrees Celsius, dew point 16 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury.
NTSB Identification: CEN13LA461
14 CFR Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
Accident occurred Monday, August 05, 2013 in Ackerly, TX
Aircraft: HUGHES 369D, registration: N8688F
Injuries: 2 Fatal,1 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On August 5, 2013, at 0915 central daylight time, a Hughes model 369D helicopter, N8688F, was not damaged when its external cargo long-line was severed after colliding with a shield wire suspended between power transmission towers near Ackerly, Texas. The two linemen who were being hoisted on the long-line were fatally injured after falling about 200 feet to the ground after the collision. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Haverfield Aviation Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 as an external load flight, without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, which was operating from a landing zone situated near the accident site.
According to the operator, the helicopter was equipped with a 100-foot long external cargo long-line that was being used to hoist linemen onto power transmission towers. Shortly after departure, as the helicopter was climbing toward the transmission tower, the long-line collided with a shield wire suspended between transmission towers. The operator reported that the long-line severed about 5 feet above the linemen. The pilot returned to the landing zone and made an uneventful landing. The pilot did not report any malfunction or failures with the helicopter that would have prevented normal operation.
The nearest aviation weather reporting station was located at Big Spring McMahon-Wrinkle Airport (KBPG), Big Spring, Texas, about 20 miles southeast of the accident site. At 0915, the KBPG automated surface observing system reported: wind from 160 degrees at 11 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 28 degrees Celsius, dew point 16 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury.
UPDATE: The names of the two men killed in Martin County while working from a helicopter have now been released, David Oliveira from California, and Christopher Breed from Idaho were both killed while trying to inspect power lines.
MARTIN COUNTY-- A freak accident is raising questions with several investigators in Martin County.
"More than one individual was killed today (Monday) so it's being taken very seriously," said Martin County Sheriff, John Woodward.
Sheriff Woodward tells us he received a 911 approximately 9:15 Monday morning from an individual witness on scene.
That witness and several others say two power line construction workers were hanging from tetherlines that were attached to a helicopter about 230 feet in the air.
"There was a failure with the tetherline that caused the two individuals to fall and be killed," explained Woodward.
Both men were workers with Haverfield aviation, a power line inspection company based in Pennsylvania.
While we're told there was no damage done to the helicopter, Sheriff Woodward says the construction team stayed on site for several hours to give statements and help out anyway they could.
"We're doing everything we can to do a thorough investigation and make sure that we take care of everything that needs to be done," stated Woodward.
http://permianbasin360.com
Two workers died in an accident around 10:30 a.m. Monday in Martin County when a single cable snapped that was suspending the two workers from a helicopter. The cable carrying the two workers came into contact with a power line, according to preliminary information via the Federal Aviation Administration.
The men were working on power lines near county roads 4200 and 4501, according to an official at the Martin County Sheriff’s Department.
The FAA is conducting an investigation of the accident, Lynn Lunsford said, a spokesman with the FAA. The helicopter is a Hughes H-500 and is often used for such work, among other tasks, Lunsford said, adding that the helicopter was able to land safely. Officials from the Occupational Hazard and Safety Administration were also on the scene investigating on Monday.
The names of the men have not yet been released, according to a dispatcher with the Martin County Sheriff’s Department. Martin County Sheriff John Woodward, who was on the scene Monday, was unavailable for comment as of press time.
The accident scene, which is about 70 miles east of Odessa, is located northeast of Stanton and just west of Big Spring.
According to the FAA, the helicopter belongs to Haverfield International Inc. out of Gettysburg, Pa.
The men were sub-contractors with Wind Energy Transmission Texas, which has an office in Big Spring but is headquartered in Austin. Wayne Morton, the general manager of WETT, said the investigation into the unfortunate situation will continue. They’re making sure the families are looked after and that safety measures are reviewed.
“We’ve had a good safety record up until now. But we will do a lot of work to reinforce safety values,” he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board also released via Twitter at 12:45 p.m. that it’s investigating “a helicopter crash in Big Spring.”
