Helicopter was conducting fire control work with one crewperson on board. The fire control work included use of a Bambi Bucket to drop water on the fires, slung under the helicopter by a 100 ft long-line. The pilot elected to land the helicopter at Glenbrook helipad to refuel. The helicopter landed with the bucket and line in front of the helicopter, and the fuel drum to the right of the helicopter. The pilot realised that the helicopter’s fuel cap was on the left side and therefore needed to turn the helicopter around to access the fuel drum.
The crewperson exited, stood in front of the helicopter, and took hold of the long-line to ensure it remained clear during the turn. The pilot then lifted the helicopter to about 2 ft above ground level. The crewperson used hand signals to direct the pilot to conduct a right turn, walking to stay in front of the helicopter and remain in the pilot’s sight. After the helicopter had turned around, the crewperson gave the signal to lower the helicopter, which the pilot followed. As the helicopter lowered down, the tail rotor struck the bucket, which was on the ground behind the helicopter. The pilot detected the strike as a vibration through the pedals, and immediately moved the helicopter forward slightly, lowered the collective, and landed.
The tail rotor was damaged; the pilot and crewperson were uninjured.
Tags: Accidents, Airbus Helicopters, AS350, Australia, Civil, Eurocopter, Firefighting, Safety
