Aerospatiale SA316B N605RA

Summary

On 27 August 1998 at about 22:45 local time, a Aerospatiale SA316B registered N605RA, operated by U.s. Dept. of the Interior, was involved in an accident near Porterville, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 August 1998 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Porterville, California, United States

Coordinates

35.9592, -118.9209

Aircraft

Aerospatiale SA316B

Registration

N605RA

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

U.s. Dept. of the Interior

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98TA278

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate in-flight clearance between the bucket and trees resulting in the entanglement/separation of the long line and subsequent impact with and separation of the tail rotor assembly. A factor was the trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter had a bambi bucket on a 100-foot-long line. The bucket became entangled in some trees and the line snapped and wrapped itself around the tail rotor. The tail rotor blades and gearbox separated from the aircraft and the helicopter spun to the ground and rolled down a steep slope. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunction with the aircraft prior to the accident. Wire marks were found on the tail rotor blades and around the output shaft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.