Both lose when cow moose collides with helicopter

Anchorage Daily News ^ | March 5, 2007 | KATIE PESZNECKER

[Chena]

I'm glad the vicious psychotic killer moose is dead. Feel better?

Personally, I'd feel better if this moose was in my freezer. ;)

[leadpenny]

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20070313X00285&key=1

NTSB Identification: ANC07LA022
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Accident occurred Saturday, March 03, 2007 in Gustavus, AK
Aircraft: Hughes 369D, registration: N5134V
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On March 3, 2007, about 1609 Alaska standard time, a Hughes 369D helicopter, N5134V, sustained substantial damage while hovering in ground-effect, when its tail rotor was struck by a moose during a game management operation, about 1 mile southwest of the Gustavus Airport, Gustavus, Alaska. The helicopter was being operated by Temsco Helicopters Inc., Ketchikan, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The commercial certificated pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 5, the chief pilot for the operator said the helicopter was involved in a moose tagging operation for the Alaska State Department of Fish and Game. He said the moose was shot with a tranquilizer dart from the helicopter, and that typically the helicopter is used to block the moose to prevent them from running into water and drowning, or running into an area where the tranquilized animal cannot be handled. He said the helicopter was hovering, waiting for the animal to "go down." The chief pilot said that the pilot of a fixed-wing airplane orbiting above, said the moose charged the helicopter, and that as the helicopter attempted to evade the moose, the moose reared up, or jumped, contacting the helicopter's tail rotor. The fixed-wing pilot reported to the chief pilot that the helicopter made three complete 360 degree rotations before the helicopter pilot was able to land. The helicopter pilot reported that he was not aware that the moose contacted the tail rotor. He reported a loss of directional control, and said that he performed a hovering autorotation to the ground. According to the chief pilot, the flex coupling between the drive shaft and the tail rotor gearbox failed. He said the spinning drive shaft cut through the tail boom adjacent to the gearbox, and liberated the tail from the rest of the airframe.

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