Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Astoria, Oregon
Friday, April 4, 2014 23:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On April 4, 2014, about 2345 Pacific daylight time, a ship pilot was seriously injured when he was being transferred via external sling from an Agusta A-109SP helicopter, N361CR, to a container ship which was inbound to the Columbia River mouth near Astoria, Oregon. The helicopter was operated by Brim Aviation, and the ship pilot was a member of the Columbia Bar Pilot's Association. Neither the helicopter nor the ship was damaged, and none of the three helicopter crewmembers were injured. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133. Light rain and night meteorological conditions prevailed, and no FAA flight plan was filed for the flight.
The helicopter crew consisted of three persons; the pilot, the co-pilot, and the hoist operator. According to the crewmembers, they intercepted the ship when it was in the Pacific Ocean, about 15 miles from the mouth of the Columbia River, with the mission to deliver the ship pilot onto the ship while the ship was underway. When the helicopter arrived at the ship, the crew spent several minutes attempting to determine a suitable location to deposit the ship pilot. They eventually agreed that a small open area near the starboard bow would be used. When the helicopter was established in a stationary position relative to the ship for the lowering, the helicopter pilot could only see a small portion of the ship for his reference and station-keeping. Just as the ship pilot touched down on the deck of the ship, the helicopter pilot lost visual reference with the ship, and the helicopter began "drifting" aft relative to the ship. The hoist operator could not pay out cable fast enough to prevent pulling the ship pilot off the deck and then aft. The hoist operator lost sight of the ship pilot, and in response, he sheared the hoist cable. The ship captain fell a few feet to the ship. He recovered from the fall, and successfully piloted the ship thorough the Columbia River mouth to its destination. Upon disembarkation, he went directly to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a fractured scapula.
The helicopter pilot had about 5,655 total hours of helicopter flight experience, including about 555 in the subject helicopter make and model, and 396 hours at night. The helicopter co-pilot had about 7,115 total hours of helicopter flight experience, including about 593 hours at night. The hoist operator was a former US Coast Guard hoist operator. In his written statement regarding the event, the ship pilot "credit[ed] the experience and professionalism of the hoist operator" in preventing a more serious and adverse outcome.
According to a report provided by representatives of the ship pilot, the ship was German-registered, and measured about 730 feet long by 100 feet wide. At the time of the event, the ship was on a heading of 150 degrees, at a speed of 17 knots. According to the operator and representatives of the ship pilot, visibility was about 10 miles, under an overcast of unspecified height. Rain was falling, and the wind was from the south-southwest at a speed of about 15 knots, which resulted in a wind on the starboard bow of the ship.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) information indicated that the helicopter was manufactured in 2011, and was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney 207C series turboshaft engines.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/4/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2345 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Astoria |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 460636N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1240636E |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| 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 | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.08 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | Operator |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2014 1:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Unknown |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N361CR |
| NTSB Number | WPR14LA160 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AGUSTAWESTLAND SPA |
| Aircraft Model | AW109SP |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | S |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 22243 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 7 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 4 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 1323 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | U S BANK NA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 13010 SW 68TH PKWY STE 100 |
| Aircraft Owner City | PORTLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 972239621 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Brim Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Astoria |
| Operator State | OR |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KAST |
| Departure City | Astoria |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2251 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Astoria |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 28 2014 1:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |