- Wirestrikes continue to pose serious risks to pilots and passengers.
Three occupants of an R44 helicopter walked away uninjured, after it struck a powerline 142 km west-south-west of Adelaide, South Australia, on 29 March 2015.
The pilot of a Robinson R44 helicopter, was engaged in herbicide dispensing operations near Marion Bay on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.
The powerline was not included in information provided to the pilot by local sources, or mapped on the helicopter’s data logger. The pilot had also flown over the area before starting aerial spraying, without sighting the single wire, which ran perpendicular to two other identified, parallel powerlines.
The helicopter struck the wire, while operating at low level spraying noxious weeds with herbicide. The main rotor blade contacted the wire first, followed by the tail rotor blades. The helicopter sustained substantial damage.
Wirestrikes pose an on-going problem to
aerial agricultural operations.
This accident provides a reminder of the need for consistency in aerial surveys for powerlines, the establishment of standardised procedures for their identification and the need for independent assessment of their presence.
Single wires can be difficult to see and occur in the most unexpected places in rural areas. ATSB research article Avoidable accidents No. 1 - Low level flying provides additional information on wire hazards associated with flight below 500’.
Avoidable Accidents No. 2 – Wirestrikes involving known wires: A manageable aerial agriculture hazard also explains a number of strategies, developed by the Aerial Agriculture Association of Australia (AAAA) and the ATSB, to help pilots manage the on-going risk of wire strikes.
These strategies include:
- ensure you are physically and mentally fit to fly
- set client expectations so that they are clear that safety comes first
- conduct a thorough briefing and study a detailed map of the area before the flight
- conduct an aerial reconnaissance before spraying and conduct an extra aerial reconnaissance before the clean-up run
- reassess the risks when plans change
- avoid unnecessary distractions and refocus when distracted
- be aware of vigilance limitations
- don’t rely on your ability to react in time to avoid a wire
- actively look for and remind yourself of wires
- be aware of and manage pressures
- have a systematic approach to safely managing wires.
Read the report: Wirestrike involving an R44 helicopter, VH-LOL, 142 km west-south-west of Adelaide, South Australia, on 10 April 2015