Tree planting on the west coast of Canada. Only machine a HU500D and around 12 crew. Very busy all toe in's, & hover exits, no reliable pads mostly rotten or gone from the winter snows.
Near the end of the project and starting to pull garbage & gear off the hill using a 200' line I'm constantly reminding the crew to make sure they load the nets with something other than cardboard (empty tree boxes). We've been together a week and I'm actually starting to trust these guy's they've all been very good around the helicopter. Then it happens I'm off the hill around 5,000' heading for the landing, a float at sea level, with a net load on the line. After I'm away from the hill, head inside quick check of the gauges, nose over, turn my head for one last look at the load before the bottom and it's not there...following the line the load has flown itself to a position slightly aft, port side and above the a/c, BIG climbing turn away from the line while bleeding off A/S to set things right.
Complacent? you bet the only time I didn't ask if the net was weighted and it caught me. Those words from an instructor many hours ago "remember everyones trying to kill you" are running through my head while being totally thankful I'm not the cause of a salvage operation from the bottom of the fjord below me.