Background
On 14 November 2018, an Airbus Helicopters AS 350 B3, registration LN-OAN, operated by Heli-Team AS, was engaged in a mission to dismantle a 45-meter-high mast at Kjerkegårdshøgda, approximately two kilometers north of Svanvik in Sør-Varanger, Finnmark. The helicopter, with a pilot and a cargo handler on board, had been hired by UB Connect. The task involved lifting nine mast sections as sling loads using a longline to a designated loading area about 700 meters west of the site. A new mast, 48 meters tall including a three-meter spire, had been erected adjacent to the old mast.
Incident
During the operation, while maneuvering to position the longline hook for lifting the second lowest section of the old mast, the main rotor blades contacted the top of the spire on the new mast. The mission was immediately aborted, and the longline with its hook was released. The helicopter proceeded to a pre-agreed emergency landing site, a small gravel pit approximately 550 meters southwest of the mast. Vibrations, resulting from damage to the main rotor blades, intensified during the flight but caused no further complications. After landing, the pilot radioed the cargo handler to confirm a safe landing.
Aftermath
No injuries were reported. The helicopter sustained damage to its main rotor blades. The Accident Investigation Board Norway (SHT) issued two safety recommendations related to risk assessments and safe-job analysis in connection with this incident.