Bell 429 accident near Georgetown, DE
On July 11, 2016, a Bell 429 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Georgetown, DE. 1 person died.
- Date
- July 11, 2016
- Place
- Georgetown, DE
- Aircraft
- Bell 429 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- —
- Position
- 38.688°N, 75.359°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160711X20144
Official records · ERA16LA253
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 11, 2016, about 1850 eastern daylight time, a hoist system operator was fatally injured after falling from a Bell 429 helicopter, N1SP, while performing external hoist operations at Delaware Coastal Airport (GED), Georgetown, Delaware. The commercial pilot and two other crewmembers were not injured, and the helicopter was not damaged. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local public flight, which was operated by the Delaware State Police. The purpose of the flight was for an emergency response team to complete recurrent rescue hoist training. The three-person team included a rescue specialist, a system operator, and a safety officer. During an evolution, the rescue specialist would be lowered from the helicopter. The system operator, located on the helicopter's skid, would retract the hook back into the helicopter, and the pilot would then return the helicopter to the original hover position in flight. Then, the rescue specialist would cue the crew to return to the target area (where the rescue specialist was located). The system operator would extend the hook, the rescue specialist would connect himself to the hoist, and the system operator would raise the rescue specialist back into the helicopter. Each crewmember was required to perform 3 evolutions as a rescue specialist and a system operator to complete the training. After completing three evolutions, the pilot would land the helicopter; the crew would rotate positions and restart the process. The system operator wore a full body harness and was
Probable cause
The emergency response team's failure to ensure that the system operator was secured to the helicopter, which resulted in his fall during the recurrent rescue hoist training operation.
More accidents in DE
- Cessna 750, Mar 1, 2012
- Piper PA28, Sep 26, 2015
- Fairchild Hiller FH-1100, May 23, 2010
- Beech BE-200, Jun 16, 1992
- Piper PA-34, Nov 2, 2013
Browse: Delaware · 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.
