Accident Overview
On October 6, 2013, at 1217 central daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas 369FF helicopter (registration N530KF) collided with a power transmission line tower near a staging site. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The helicopter, registered to Rogers Aviation, was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 and sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated from a local staging area.
Sequence of Events
The pilot was maneuvering the helicopter near a 150-foot-tall power transmission line tower to attach a line to a rope for pulling it through a traveler during power line construction. Ground crew, positioned with a boom truck near the tower's base, reported the boom basket at the bottom traveler approximately 100 feet above ground level. The rope had been threaded through the top traveler. As the helicopter maneuvered to pick up the rope, wind conditions became gusty. The main rotor blades struck the tower and the top traveler at about 140 feet above ground. The helicopter spun, and the tail rotor struck the tower, causing the tail rotor and gearbox to separate. The helicopter descended rapidly to the ground near the tower's base, where a postcrash fire consumed the wreckage.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The 34-year-old pilot held commercial rotorcraft and instrument ratings, as well as a certified flight instructor certificate for rotorcraft. He was issued a Class II FAA medical certificate on July 10, 2013, with no limitations. He began employment with Rogers Aviation on July 8, 2013, reporting 4,550 total flight hours, and had passed a Part 133 check ride for external load operations.
The helicopter, a 1994 McDonnell Douglas 369FF, was equipped with a Rolls-Royce C30 turboshaft engine. It had accumulated 7,157 total flight hours at its last 100-hour inspection on October 1, 2013. The helicopter was fitted with a side-pull kit and a 30-foot line on the left side, and had been refueled with 60 gallons in the main tank and 20 gallons in the auxiliary tank.
Weather and Wreckage
The nearest weather reporting station, Childress Municipal Airport (31 nautical miles north), reported wind from 350 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 17 knots at 1153, and from 330 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 18 knots at 1253. Visibility was 10 statute miles with clear skies.
The wreckage came to rest on its left side at the tower's base. A postcrash fire consumed the cabin forward of the aft passenger bulkhead. The tail rotor gearbox was found between the tower and the boom truck, and the tail rotor was located several yards south. No preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure was reported.
Medical and Pathological Findings
An autopsy attributed the pilot's cause of death to blunt force injuries of the torso with smoke and soot inhalation. Toxicology tests detected 24% carbon monoxide in the blood; tests for cyanide, ethanol, and drugs were negative.