ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295556
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| Date: | Monday 7 July 2003 |
| Time: | 17:34 LT |
| Type: |  Sikorsky S-64E |
| Owner/operator: | U.S. Forest Service |
| Registration: | N6979R |
| MSN: | 64079 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1968 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 12746 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney JFTD12A-4A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Tucson, Arizona -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Tucson International Airport, AZ (TUS/KTUS) |
| Sabino Helispot, AZ | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After a series of water drops were conducted on a forest fire, the helicopter's crew refilled the fixed tank with water from a dip tank via a snorkel. The dip tank was located in mountainous terrain and there were two mesquite trees near the tank. During the refilling operation, the tail rotor blades contacted the trees; however, the flight crew was unaware of the strike. The tail rotor blade damage was noticed when ground personnel detected damage to the number one exhaust stack, and the helicopter was inspected further. One of the four tail rotor blades incurred spar damage on the leading edge, approximately 14.5 inches from the tip end.
Probable Cause: the pilot's failure to maintain tail rotor clearance while hovering resulting in a tail rotor blade strike.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX03TA229
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 09:55 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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