On May 22, 2003, a Bell UH-1H (registration N3280U) was involved in an aviation accident near Kahoolawe, HI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: 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. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A commercial helicopter crashed after its external load cable became entangled with the tail rotor, causing the tail rotor to separate and the helicopter to roll inverted.
Accident Details
A commercial helicopter was returning to a site with a 41-foot unweighted external load cable still attached beneath it, following the delivery of an external load. A witness observed the helicopter overhead and saw the cable slap against the fuselage before becoming entangled with the tail rotor. The tail rotor subsequently separated from the tail boom, and the helicopter rolled nearly inverted and crashed.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed cable witness marks on the tail boom and tail rotor blades, confirming the entanglement.
Pilot and Operator Information
The commercial pilot had extensive flying experience conducting external load operations. The operator indicated that it was not their standard procedure to have an unweighted cable attached to the helicopter for transition flights.