Premium on Safety - Issue 48, 2023 - 16

LESSONS LEARNED
PROCEDURE AND TECHNIQUE. THE DISTINCTION
BETWEEN THOSE TWO HAS BEEN FODDER
FOR INNUMERABLE HANGAR DEBATES, SO
IT'S WORTH TAKING TIME TO CLARIFY THE
DISTINCTION. Procedure is what must be done.
Technique is how one goes about doing it.
A classic example was the 180-degree
power-off spot landing when the ASEL
commercial checkride required the use of a
complex airplane. The test standards require
designating a target spot on the runway,
pulling the throttle to idle when abeam it on
downwind, and touching down no more than
200 feet beyond. But is it better to keep the
gear retracted until short final to maximize
On February 5, 2020, flight
crews fighting bushfires in the
Australian state of New South
Wales avoided a potential
disaster when the hoist cable
fitted to an Airbus Helicopters,
Inc. AS350 B3 parted during
an attempted maintenance
operation rather than while
lifting personnel or equipment.
gliding distance or extend it on downwind to
minimize workload and glidepath variations
from configuration changes? Reasonable
minds-not to mention highly experienced
CFIs-can and do disagree. The specific model
being flown might be the decisive factor.
Unfortunately, many aircraft flight manuals
don't clearly distinguish between the two
or explain why particular steps should be
viewed as a necessary procedure rather than
an optional technique. Documentation for
supplemental or aftermarket equipment isn't
guaranteed to be any more specific.
On February 5, 2020, flight crews fighting
bushfires in the Australian state of New
South Wales avoided a potential disaster
when the hoist cable fitted to an Airbus
Helicopters, Inc. AS350 B3 parted
during an attempted maintenance operation
rather than while lifting personnel or
equipment. The break occurred just fourtenths
of an inch from the swaged fitting,
attaching the swivel hook assembly, which
was topped by a crushable rubber bumper. A
conical spring installed between the bumper
and the swivel assembly enabled the hook to
be drawn up tight against the bumper when
the cable was stowed to minimize vibration
in flight.
ATSB investigation photo of the Airbus Helicopters, Inc.
AS350 B3 accident helicopter.
The helicopter was operated by the New South
Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
(NPWS) Flight Operations Unit ( " ParkAir " ).
During the 2019-2020 summer fire season, it
was relocated from its base at the Bankstown
Airport to an NPWS depot at Bulga in the
Blue Mountains National Park, where frequent
hoist operations were conducted by a crew
consisting of a pilot and a winch operator.
At a crew change on February 2, 2020, the
departing winchman advised his relief that
the winch was operating properly, but some of
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https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2020/aair/ao-2020-013 https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2020/aair/ao-2020-013

Premium on Safety - Issue 48, 2023

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