Inadvertent hook release on AS350's ???

[bgdfly]

Hi all,

I am looking to do a safety review of incidents with inadvertent hook release on AS350's (preferably B3's), and only on cargo-swing set ups. If anyone has details or reports they would be happy to share, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks in advance...

(Stay safe)

bgdfly

[Nubian]

Originally Posted by bgdfly

Hi all,

I am looking to do a safety review of incidents with inadvertent hook release on AS350's (preferably B3's), and only on cargo-swing set ups. If anyone has details or reports they would be happy to share, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks in advance...

(Stay safe)

bgdfly

You might know of this: AS350 B3, near Broken Hill Airport, New South Wales, on 5 July 2024
This together with corrosion damage to the cable is a known cause. Onboard has an optional hydraulic release mechanism which eliminate these issues. Article form Vertical magazine: Onboard System’s TALON Hydraulic Hook

[Sir HC]

It's far easier to claim that the load inadvertently released due to some aircraft issue than to admit that you pressed the cargo release hook when you intended to make a radio call instead. Make an entry in the logbook, the engineers then have to take a good look, they usually find something that's chafing or corroded or something to pin the blame on and bam, there's your silver bullet. Meanwhile, that pilot learns a great lesson and either flies with the cargo hook breaker pulled, or simply doesn't make radio calls while carrying a load. Occams razor should be employed in more of these accident reports.

[rotormatic]

Two hooks in one....

https://mechspecialties.com/wp-conte...talog-2025.pdf

[Nubian]

Originally Posted by Sir HC

It's far easier to claim that the load inadvertently released due to some aircraft issue than to admit that you pressed the cargo release hook when you intended to make a radio call instead. Make an entry in the logbook, the engineers then have to take a good look, they usually find something that's chafing or corroded or something to pin the blame on and bam, there's your silver bullet. Meanwhile, that pilot learns a great lesson and either flies with the cargo hook breaker pulled, or simply doesn't make radio calls while carrying a load. Occams razor should be employed in more of these accident reports.

Don’t think Onboard would make the hydraulic option if it was as easy as the dumb pilots fault as you seem to advocate.
I know of a few cases where the load was not even off the ground when the hook opened. Cables were excessively corroded in those cases and obviously changed.

There was an article about an operator in either Canada or Alaska which made the change to their fleet a few years back due to the problem, but I can’t recall the operator. After they changed, the problem went away. Must have been a coincidence, as I’m sure they just started to pull the breaker (GREAT advice btw) and stay silent on the radio all of a sudden…

Finger trouble of course happen as well, but it is just too easy to conclude like you do. There is a reason for the OP is specifically asking about cases with the B3’s and cargo swing. I ‘m sure pilots flying the other models have the same finger trouble as B3 pilots.

[Hughes500]

one of my pilots pressed the remote release rather than the press to transmit ! One has also pressed the belly release rather than the remote hook, right bastard half way up a cliff in dense bracken to get it back !

[RVDT]

Pretty sure there is a large wad of SB's and Safety info published by Airbus on the issue. It has happened for many years and probably boils down to mainly finger trouble and lack of attention to detail. Poor old hook systems tend to be neglected and it is not limited to B3's.
Unintentional hook release doesn't get reported so much. How much the hook gets used and the value of what is being slung influences things. i.e. whether you're humping rocks and hay bales or a geophysical array.
Mis-rigged and incorrect manual release cable installation is an issue.
US Dept of the Interior has summed it up pretty well here.

[bgdfly]

Thanks all,
Yes Nubian, I was aware of this one near Broken Hill.
And I will dig into the SB's from the OEM. Good thinking RVDT!
Cheers, bgdfly