Bell UH-1H N3280U

Summary

On 22 May 2003 at about 21:50 local time, a Bell UH-1H registered N3280U was involved in an accident near Kahoolawe, Hawaii, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 May 2003 at 21:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Kahoolawe, Hawaii, United States

Coordinates

20.5700, -156.6333

Aircraft

Bell UH-1H

Registration

N3280U

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kahoolawe → Puunene

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03LA160

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to remove the external load cable before the repositioning flight, which resulted in the cable striking the tail rotor in cruise flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial helicopter had delivered an external load, and was returning to another site with a 41-foot, unweighted external load cable still attached under the helicopter. A witness saw the helicopter overhead, and watched as the cable slapped the fuselage, and became entangled with the tail rotor. The tail rotor subsequently separated from the tail boom, and the helicopter rolled nearly inverted and crashed. Examination of the wreckage revealed cable witness marks on the tail boom and tail rotor blades. The commercial pilot had extensive flying experience conducting external load operations. The operator indicated it was not their standard procedure to have an unweighted cable attached to the helicopter for transition flights.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.