Bell UH-1H accident near Savannah, TN
On February 3, 1998, a Bell UH-1H (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Savannah, TN. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 3, 1998
- Place
- Savannah, TN
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1H · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.221°N, 88.229°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X09579
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 3, 1998, about 0850 central standard time, a Bell UH-1H helicopter, N30TV, operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 public-use flight, impacted with a pole near Savannah, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was destroyed. Two airline transport pilots, one crewmember observer, and one TVA employee working on the pole, were fatally injured. One observer (a helicopter crewmember) received minor injuries. The flight had originated from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at 0630, en route to Savannah. The flight was conducted to support a rope stringing and wire installation operation which was being conducted by the TVA. The helicopter departed from the TVA Air Service hangar with a crew of two, TVA's Chief Pilot and an observer. Two additional crew members, another observer, and a contract pilot, had driven to Savannah earlier and were to meet the helicopter in Savannah. After a 30 minute flight, the helicopter landed at the TVA line maintenance facility, and the crew attended a line installation briefing. The two other crew members were there and they also attended the briefing. The briefing lasted about 30 minutes, and the flight departed at 0730. The helicopter flew about 1.2 hours stringing ropes/wires before it proceeded to the area where the accident occurred. Ground witnesses observed the helicopter approach a pole with a workman at the top, at a height of about 150 feet above the ground. The workman's task was to attach a conductor pull rope to the end
Probable cause
failure of the flight crew to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance from the pole and workman. Related factors were: the gusty wind condition, inadequate communication/coordination between the flight crew and ground personnel, and an improper external system for this type of operation.
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Browse: Tennessee · Bell aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
