DUCHESNE, UT, USA
N1086C
BELL 206B
THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING OPERATED ON A SPECIALIZED POWER LINE PATROL TO CONDUCT 'KORONA MEASURING' FOR A 'LEAKAGE' CHECK OF THE TRANSMISSION LINE. THIS CHECK REQUIRED THAT THE HELICOPTER BE FLOWN AT A CONSTANT ALTITUDE & SPEED, & AT A DISTANCE OF 100' OR LESS FROM THE POWER LINE. WHILE PATROLLING EASTBOUND, THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE NORTH STATIC LINE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MAIN ROTOR, SWASH PLATE, & TRANSMISSION/ROTOR MAST SEPARATED & THE HELICOPTER CRASHED. WHEN THE HELICOPTER DID NOT RETURN FROM THE PATROL, A SEARCH WAS ORGANIZED. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND THE NEXT DAY AT 1045 MDT. THE PLT & 1 PAX WERE DECEASED, BUT THE OTHER PAX APPEARED TO BE ALIVE; HOWEVER, HE DIED BEFORE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ARRIVED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE HELICOPTER WAS FOUND. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THIS WAS THE PILOT'S 1ST POWER LINE PATROL. ON HIS APPLICATION FOR RECENT EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COMPANY, HE INDICATED HE HAD OVER 1900 HRS OF FLT TIME; HOWEVER, ONLY 585 HRS OF FLT TIME COULD BE VERIFIED. HE DID NOT RCV MISSION TRAINING FOR THIS FLT.
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE POWER LINE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: LACK OF MISSION TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY/OPERATOR, THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF OPERATION, HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA, AND THE COMPANY/OPERATOR'S INADEQUATE SUBSTANTIATION PROCESS TO ASSURE THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF NEWLY HIRED PILOTS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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