Garlick OH-58A N802JB

Summary

On 19 September 2006 at about 20:40 local time, a Garlick OH-58A registered N802JB, operated by JBI Helicopter Services, was involved in an accident near East Bridgewate, Massachusetts, United States. 2 people were on board. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 September 2006 at 20:40

Classification

Accident

Location

East Bridgewate, Massachusetts, United States

Coordinates

42.2293, -71.5299

Aircraft

Garlick OH-58A

Registration

N802JB

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

JBI Helicopter Services

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

East Bridgewate → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC06LA224

Injuries not recorded.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.