ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 211647
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| Date: | Saturday 2 April 2011 |
| Time: | 13:30 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | VH-HUL |
| MSN: | 1644 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Maitland, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | near Maitland, NSW |
| near Maitland, NSW | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter was conducting charter operations from a helicopter landing site at the Lorn Reserve on the east bank of the Hunter River, near Maitland, New South Wales. It had been positioned on flat ground, facing NE, 23 m south of three overhead 11kv power conductors that spanned the river next to the Belmore Bridge.
On the second flight of the day, the pilot commenced hover checks at the landing site having observed a gradual wind change from south-east to south-west before the flight. The pilot had used the trees on the eastern bank of the Hunter River as a visual cue and saw the wind gusting straight across the river from a southwesterly direction.
After completion of the hover checks, the pilot flew the helicopter forward and commenced a left U turn to face the river. At about 50 feet above ground level, the helicopter was caught in a southerly wind gust and drifted towards the 11kv conductors. As the pilot turned the helicopter south, one of the main rotor blades severed a power conductor. After hearing a loud noise and feeling a slight shudder, the pilot landed back at the Reserve.
One of the severed conductors fell onto a safety railing on the Western side of the Hunter River. The ensuing electrical discharge resulted in a full thickness burn to the leg of a three year old child in contact with the railing, about 156 metres south of the bridge.
Sources:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2011/aair/ao-2011-046/
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/3460925/ab2011077.pdf#page=59
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-May-2018 12:54 | Pineapple | Added |
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