Bell 206 Accident at a Worcester Wine Farm (ZS-HGO)

Accident Overview and Context On 16 September 2015, a Bell 206 helicopter, registration ZS-HGO, was involved in an accident at a Touws River wine farm near Worcester in the Western Cape, South Africa. The aircraft was operating under commercial Part 133 regulations as part of a power line maintenance task. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was contracted by a power line maintenance team to transport a ladder using a 25-meter cargo sling. The operation had commenced on 14 September 2015 and was intended to conclude on 15 September, but was extended due to weather conditions. ## Sequence of Events During the final flight of the day, the pilot lifted off from a confined area alongside a vineyard, surrounded by trees and power lines. As the helicopter transitioned from hover to forward flight, the empty cargo sling snagged on some vine bushes. Before ground personnel could alert the pilot, the sling released violently and became entangled in the tail rotor. The pilot reported feeling a violent movement and hearing the sound of breaking metal. The helicopter yawed clockwise, descended rapidly, and struck the ground, sustaining substantial damage. ## Damage and Injuries The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom, skids, and lower fuselage. The aft section of the skids bent and fractured, and the aft lower fuselage was dented. The impact also destroyed a number of grapevine bushes, but no fuel was spilled. The pilot was not injured during the accident sequence. ## Investigation Findings The investigation revealed that the accident was due to the pilot's negligence during the transition phase. Specifically, the pilot failed to confirm with the ground person that the cargo sling was clear of the ground and at a safe height before transitioning to forward flight. This disregard of safety operation procedures led to the sling snagging on the vines and subsequently entangling with the rotating tail rotor, causing the tail boom to break.