Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mcmurdo Station
Friday, January 17, 2003 2:52 UTC
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The public use helicopter was lifting a 20' by 14' by 6" thick platform, weighing about 1250 pounds, on a 100 foot long line. The airline transport pilot had successfully lifted and transported three similar platforms with the accident helicopter just before the accident flight, although he had difficulty controlling the load on two flights, and landed to check the helicopter for damage after the third flight. On the accident flight, the pilot reported a severe jolt to the airframe while the helicopter was approximately 200' AGL, and the load was approximately 100' AGL, followed by an immediate loss of engine power. Ground witnesses noted that the platform swung from right to left, fore and aft, and rose vertically several times. The platform rose one final time, and "slammed down" on the long line, breaking the platform in half. Witnesses said they then saw white vapor coming from the helicopter, the load was jettisoned, and the helicopter descended very rapidly, impacting on a frozen lake. Postaccident examination of the engines disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies. An inspection of the external cargo hook and its support structure in the belly of the helicopter, revealed a sheared bolt at the top of the hook support assembly, which allowed the assembly to move and change shape. Witness marks indicate that the hook assembly overrode its container ring, and struck the fuel crossover lines, throttle control bell cranks for both engines, and the throttle position push/pull tubes. Both fuel crossover lines were pulled from their respective fuel tanks, and the throttle position bell cranks were found in the engine idle cutoff position, with the crossover lines crushed against them.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued operation of the helicopter with an unstable external load, which resulted in damage to the cargo hook assembly, adjacent throttle controls, and subsequent loss of engine power, precipitating an emergency descent and impact with terrain. Factors associated with the accident were the load oscillations, and the separation of the fuel crossover lines.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/17/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 252 |
| Event Time Zone | Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT |
| Event City | McMurdo Station |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 775000S |
| Event Location Longitude | 1663600E |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 18 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15254 |
| NTSB Notification Source | OAS |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 17 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 900 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2004 3:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1079U |
| NTSB Number | ANC03GA023 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 212 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31122 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 11900 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 140 |
| Airframe Hours | 13945 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Petroleum Helicopters Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2001 SE Evangleline Thruway |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lafayette |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70508 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | National Science Foundation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | McMurdo Station |
| Operator State | UN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | McMurdo Station |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | AY |
| Departure Time | 100 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 2:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |