Md Helicopter Inc 369D accident near Luling, LA
On May 20, 2018, a Md Helicopter Inc 369D (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Luling, LA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 20, 2018
- Place
- Luling, LA
- Aircraft
- Md Helicopter Inc 369D · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.879°N, 90.404°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180520X40635
Official records · CEN18FA182
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 20, 2018, at 1049 central daylight time, an MD Helicopters, Inc. 369D helicopter, N362JS, was destroyed when it collided with a power line structure and impacted terrain while performing an aerial repair near Luling, Louisiana. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries, one crewmember sustained serious injuries, and a second crewmember sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Air2 LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 external load operation. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from Port of South Louisiana Executive Regional Airport (APS), Reserve, Louisiana, at 0936. The operator stated that the accident occurred while the pilot and crewmembers were attempting to position a shield wire to a bracket that had separated from the end of the "goat head" arm, which extended from the power line support structure. The goat head arm was approximately 13 ft in length, and the goat head end that the bracket was secured to was positioned 8 ft vertically above the horizontal support structure arm. The goat head held a shield wire in position above high-tension power lines. The pilot stated that he arrived at APS about 0700, conducted a preflight inspection of the helicopter, and found no discrepancies. He discussed the job hazard analysis and repair plan with his crewmembers, and they decided that the flight would be a good opportunity to train the second crewmember on skid work and allow him to obser
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the powerline structure while hovering, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the structure and an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
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Browse: Louisiana · Md 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.
