Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125793547 - Croman Corp

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately noon on May 14, 1997, Employee #1, of Croman Corporation, was flying a helicopter used to transport employees and light equipment to the felling areas near a logging site around Truckee, CA. Near the end of the day, he started a trip out to the felling area to pick up the crew. On his way to the site, Employee #1 had decided to transport a 200 ft drop line to another landing site where it would be used by a different helicopter to haul logs out of the forest. The drop line, a combination of cable and electric cord, was suspended from the bottom of the helicopter to allow it to be released into the landing site as the aircraft flew over. Employee #1 lifted off from the landing area after hooking up the drop line and flew out over the canyon. He was about 300 ft from the landing area when the drop line became entangled in the top of a tree. Feeling and hearing the engine start to pull, he turned back toward the landing area. As he did so, the caught line pulled the helicopter toward the ground. The top 20 ft of the tree in which the line was caught was removed as the helicopter went down. The crash site was not found until about four hours after the accident. First aid was provided, and Employee #1 was transported by Life Flight to Washoe Medical Center in Reno, NV. He was treated for a broken ankle and ribs.

Keywords: AIRCRAFT, CLEARANCE, FRACTURE, WORK RULES, CAUGHT BY, HELICOPTER, FALL, ENTANGLED, LOGGING, ANKLE