Narrative:

The purpose of the flight was an external load operation by helicopter in downtown cincinnati. 4 lifts were scheduled, 2 up, 2 down, at weights of approximately 2500 pounds. The first 'down' lift was accomplished successfully from the 6 story roof to a flatbed trailer on the street below. The first 'up' lift was then attempted. Conditions were no wind and 70 degrees F. During the first 'up' lift, I was able to climb the helicopter vertical with the load to a ht of 30-40 ft above the trailer. At that point, my ascent rate appeared to slow rapidly and I began to settle with the load. Not feeling confident of exactly what was below me in my descent, I elected to gain forward airspeed with the helicopter and the load in an attempt to 'fly' the load to the roof. I flew the helicopter up the street and out of the secured lifting area causing security personnel and bystanders to scatter. During this attempt, the load impacted a street light and grazed a bus stand. I regained control of the load and successfully flew it to the roof. The load was disconnected and I flew to lunken airport to await the decision to continue the load operation. I power checked the helicopter again and elected to finish the lift work starting with removal of the damaged load. One more up and down lift were successfully accomplished. FAA representatives were on site and I discussed at length the problems I had encountered. Possible problem areas: 1) I attempted too fast of an ascent rate in a confined, restr, no wind location. 2) lift truck location could/should have been moved further south about 50-75 yards to enable a forward and up lift vice straight vertical. 3) expand security area to the outside of each of the corner intxns vice the inside. 4) better control of bystanders by the addition of more security personnel. 5) on my part, stressing the absolute importance of utilizing and feeling confident of the use of the designated emergency landing or setting area. This entire operation has been discussed, reviewed at length with chief pilot and more senior lift pilots. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has a lot of helicopter time in vertical replenishment activity with the united states navy flying ship-to-ship in the C-46, but very little piston helicopter time in very confined area vertical lift such as this one in downtown cincinnati. He was flying the S-58 ranmar helicopter, possibly a former ch-34. The load was a cooling fan unit that was about 20 ft long on an 8 point sling. The unit is now repaired and ready to be lifted but there are problems with the permit process. The reporter has not heard from the FAA on this episode, but his chief pilot has talked to the FAA. The reporter has had extensive retraining by his company and feels that he is ready to try this again. He admits that he tried to climb too fast and that the load began to swing unctlably.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HELI EXTERNAL LOAD WAS DAMAGED ON A VERT LIFT IN AN URBAN SIT.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS AN EXTERNAL LOAD OP BY HELI IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI. 4 LIFTS WERE SCHEDULED, 2 UP, 2 DOWN, AT WTS OF APPROX 2500 LBS. THE FIRST 'DOWN' LIFT WAS ACCOMPLISHED SUCCESSFULLY FROM THE 6 STORY ROOF TO A FLATBED TRAILER ON THE STREET BELOW. THE FIRST 'UP' LIFT WAS THEN ATTEMPTED. CONDITIONS WERE NO WIND AND 70 DEGS F. DURING THE FIRST 'UP' LIFT, I WAS ABLE TO CLB THE HELI VERT WITH THE LOAD TO A HT OF 30-40 FT ABOVE THE TRAILER. AT THAT POINT, MY ASCENT RATE APPEARED TO SLOW RAPIDLY AND I BEGAN TO SETTLE WITH THE LOAD. NOT FEELING CONFIDENT OF EXACTLY WHAT WAS BELOW ME IN MY DSCNT, I ELECTED TO GAIN FORWARD AIRSPD WITH THE HELI AND THE LOAD IN AN ATTEMPT TO 'FLY' THE LOAD TO THE ROOF. I FLEW THE HELI UP THE STREET AND OUT OF THE SECURED LIFTING AREA CAUSING SECURITY PERSONNEL AND BYSTANDERS TO SCATTER. DURING THIS ATTEMPT, THE LOAD IMPACTED A STREET LIGHT AND GRAZED A BUS STAND. I REGAINED CTL OF THE LOAD AND SUCCESSFULLY FLEW IT TO THE ROOF. THE LOAD WAS DISCONNECTED AND I FLEW TO LUNKEN ARPT TO AWAIT THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE LOAD OP. I PWR CHKED THE HELI AGAIN AND ELECTED TO FINISH THE LIFT WORK STARTING WITH REMOVAL OF THE DAMAGED LOAD. ONE MORE UP AND DOWN LIFT WERE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED. FAA REPRESENTATIVES WERE ON SITE AND I DISCUSSED AT LENGTH THE PROBS I HAD ENCOUNTERED. POSSIBLE PROB AREAS: 1) I ATTEMPTED TOO FAST OF AN ASCENT RATE IN A CONFINED, RESTR, NO WIND LOCATION. 2) LIFT TRUCK LOCATION COULD/SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOVED FURTHER S ABOUT 50-75 YARDS TO ENABLE A FORWARD AND UP LIFT VICE STRAIGHT VERT. 3) EXPAND SECURITY AREA TO THE OUTSIDE OF EACH OF THE CORNER INTXNS VICE THE INSIDE. 4) BETTER CTL OF BYSTANDERS BY THE ADDITION OF MORE SECURITY PERSONNEL. 5) ON MY PART, STRESSING THE ABSOLUTE IMPORTANCE OF UTILIZING AND FEELING CONFIDENT OF THE USE OF THE DESIGNATED EMER LNDG OR SETTING AREA. THIS ENTIRE OP HAS BEEN DISCUSSED, REVIEWED AT LENGTH WITH CHIEF PLT AND MORE SENIOR LIFT PLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS A LOT OF HELI TIME IN VERT REPLENISHMENT ACTIVITY WITH THE UNITED STATES NAVY FLYING SHIP-TO-SHIP IN THE C-46, BUT VERY LITTLE PISTON HELI TIME IN VERY CONFINED AREA VERT LIFT SUCH AS THIS ONE IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI. HE WAS FLYING THE S-58 RANMAR HELI, POSSIBLY A FORMER CH-34. THE LOAD WAS A COOLING FAN UNIT THAT WAS ABOUT 20 FT LONG ON AN 8 POINT SLING. THE UNIT IS NOW REPAIRED AND READY TO BE LIFTED BUT THERE ARE PROBS WITH THE PERMIT PROCESS. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS EPISODE, BUT HIS CHIEF PLT HAS TALKED TO THE FAA. THE RPTR HAS HAD EXTENSIVE RETRAINING BY HIS COMPANY AND FEELS THAT HE IS READY TO TRY THIS AGAIN. HE ADMITS THAT HE TRIED TO CLB TOO FAST AND THAT THE LOAD BEGAN TO SWING UNCTLABLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.