Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
East Bridgewate, Massachusetts 02324
Tuesady, September 19, 2006 16:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was transporting empty cranberry bins via cargo hook. The bins were lifted from a flatbed trailer, about 4 feet from a ground crewmember, a 9-year hook-up veteran. After the fifth lift, the ground crewmember attempted to run to, and help a truck driver of another trailer. Although he had a hard hat with a combination ear muffs/radio receiver and microphone, the ground crewmember did not advise the pilot of his intentions, and ran under the track flown during the previous four loads. As the helicopter flew over the ground crewmember, the cargo hook opened, uncommanded by the pilot, and the bins fell about 8 feet onto the ground crewmember. The cargo hook system had been removed from another helicopter in 2002, and that helicopter had previously had it installed at a completion center in 1997. The hook release cable, Bell part number 206-072-903-101 was installed; however, the correct part number was 206-072-903-1, which was approximately 1 inch longer, and would have allowed enough slack to normally preclude any tension on the cargo hook manual release mechanism. After discovering the different part numbers, the operator found that another of his helicopters had the shorter release cable, and he changed it to the longer one as well.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The completion center's installation of the incorrect (shorter) release cable, and the ground crewmember's improper movement under the flight path during a bin transfer.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/19/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1640 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | East Bridgewate |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02324 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 415936N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0705424W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1650 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 120 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PYM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 148 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.71 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23712 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NE Region ops Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 20 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 30 2008 11:48AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Boston |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N802JB |
| NTSB Number | NYC06LA224 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Garlick |
| Aircraft Model | OH-58A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 71-20581 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5494 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Horizon Helicopters, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Pembroke |
| Aircraft Owner State | NH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 03275 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | JBI Helicopter Services |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Pembroke |
| Operator State | NH |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 03275 |
| Operator Code | FTYL |
| 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) | External Load |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | East Bridgewate |
| Departure State | MA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 29 2008 9:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |