Accident Details
On the day of the accident, a helicopter crew was conducting a bighorn sheep relocation mission. The front left-seated pilot maneuvered the aircraft, allowing the gunner (aft left seat) and mugger (aft right seat) to capture sheep. After capturing 16 sheep, the mission continued toward a goal of 20 sheep for the day.
The crew gunned two sheep in one net. The pilot then maneuvered the helicopter onto a hillside with approximately a 30-percent grade. He continued toe-ing the helicopter into the hillside with the front skids contacting terrain, while the netted sheep were positioned off the right side of the helicopter.
The gunner egressed the left side of the helicopter and walked into the rotating main rotor disc, killing himself.
Mission Background
Prior to the accident, the pilot and the second passenger (a biologist) had flown on numerous missions over more than 20 years. The flight departed early in the morning for the purpose of relocating bighorn sheep.
The pilot opined that the gunner may have been feeling added pressure and fatigue during the capture.
Post-Accident Findings
A review of the operator's employee manual disclosed that operations on the accident flight were in compliance with the manual. However, the manual did not address passenger briefing of egress instructions on a regular basis.