NTSB Final Report: Estacada, OR
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Location:
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Estacada, Oregon
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Accident Number:
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WPR24LA036
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Date & Time:
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November 15, 2023, 07:45 Local
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Registration:
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N103WC
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Aircraft:
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Bell OH-58A
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Aircraft Damage:
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Substantial
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Defining Event:
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Loss of control in flight
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Injuries:
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1 None
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Flight Conducted Under:
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Part 133: Rotorcraft ext. load
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Analysis
The pilot reported that he was relocating bundles of trees from the harvest field onto a truck bed. Approximately 30 minutes into the operation, the load hook did not immediately release when he was setting a bundle down. The pilot pressed the release button multiple times, as he had done in similar situations in the past. The helicopter’s momentum, as it moved back towards the field, caused the bundle to slide a few feet. One of the main rotor blades then struck the tail boom, and the other blade flapped down, cutting off the rear section of the tail boom, vertical stabilizer, and tail rotor. The helicopter spun several times before landing, resting flat on the skids. The landing impact was forceful enough to break the mast and dislodge the main transmission. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor, tail boom, vertical stabilizer, tail rotor, and transmission. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control during an external load operation, which resulted in the helicopter’s main rotor blades impacting the tail boom.
Findings
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot
Aircraft (general) - Not attained/maintained
Factual Information
History of Flight
Maneuvering-hover External load event (Rotorcraft)
Maneuvering-hover Loss of control in flight (Defining event)
Pilot Information
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Certificate:
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Commercial; Flight instructor
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Age:
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47,Male
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Airplane Rating(s):
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None
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Seat Occupied:
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Right
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Other Aircraft Rating(s):
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Helicopter
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Restraint Used:
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4-point
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Instrument Rating(s):
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Helicopter
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Second Pilot Present:
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No
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Instructor Rating(s):
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Helicopter
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Toxicology Performed:
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Medical Certification:
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Class 2 Without
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Last FAA Medical Exam:
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April 19, 2023
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waivers/limitations
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Occupational Pilot:
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Yes
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Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
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August 1, 2023
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Flight Time:
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1858 hours (Total, all aircraft), 591 hours (Total, this make and model), 1774 hours (Pilot In
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Command, all aircraft), 116 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 91 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft),
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9 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)
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Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
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Aircraft Make:
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Bell
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Registration:
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N103WC
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Model/Series:
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OH-58A
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Aircraft Category:
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Helicopter
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Year of Manufacture:
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1969
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Amateur Built:
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Airworthiness Certificate:
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Normal; Restricted (Special)
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Serial Number:
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69-16083
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Landing Gear Type:
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High skid
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Seats:
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4
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Date/Type of Last
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November 12, 2023 100 hour
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Certified Max Gross Wt.:
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3200 lbs
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Inspection:
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Time Since Last Inspection:
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19 Hrs
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Engines:
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1 Turbo shaft
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Airframe Total Time:
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9087 Hrs at time of accident
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Engine Manufacturer:
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Rolls Royce
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ELT:
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Not installed
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Engine Model/Series:
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T63-A-720
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Registered Owner:
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EDGEFIELD AVIATION LLC
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Rated Power:
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400 Horsepower
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Operator:
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EDGEFIELD AVIATION LLC
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Operating Certificate(s)
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Agricultural aircraft (137)
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Held:
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Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
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Conditions at Accident Site:
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Visual (VMC)
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Condition of Light:
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Dawn
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Observation Facility, Elevation:
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KUAO,196 ft msl
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Distance from Accident Site:
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18 Nautical Miles
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Observation Time:
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07:53 Local
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Direction from Accident Site:
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266°
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Lowest Cloud Condition:
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Visibility
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2.5 miles
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Lowest Ceiling:
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Broken / 700 ft AGL
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Visibility (RVR):
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Wind Speed/Gusts:
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4 knots /
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Turbulence Type
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/
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Forecast/Actual:
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Wind Direction:
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20°
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Turbulence Severity
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/
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Forecast/Actual:
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Altimeter Setting:
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29.95 inches Hg
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Temperature/Dew Point:
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8°C / 7°C
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Precipitation and Obscuration:
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Moderate - None - Mist
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Departure Point:
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Estacada, OR
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Type of Flight Plan Filed:
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None
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Destination:
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Estacada, OR
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Type of Clearance:
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None
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Departure Time:
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Type of Airspace:
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Class G
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Wreckage and Impact Information
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Crew Injuries:
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1 None
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Aircraft Damage:
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Substantial
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Passenger
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N/A
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Aircraft Fire:
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None
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Injuries:
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Ground Injuries:
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Aircraft Explosion:
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None
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Total Injuries:
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1 None
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Latitude,
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45.265907,-122.35522
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Longitude:
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Administrative Information
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Investigator In Charge (IIC):
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Rho, Paul
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Additional Participating
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Greg Howard; Federal Aviation Administration; Portland, OR
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Persons:
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Original Publish Date:
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June 6, 2024
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Last Revision Date:
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Investigation Class:
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Class 4
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Note:
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The NTSB did not travel to the scene of this accident.
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Investigation Docket:
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https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193390
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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in other modes of transportation— railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. We determine the probable causes of the accidents and events we investigate, and issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences. In addition, we conduct transportation safety research studies and offer information and other assistance to family members and survivors for each accident or event we investigate. We also serve as the appellate authority for enforcement actions involving aviation and mariner certificates issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and US Coast Guard, and we adjudicate appeals of civil penalty actions taken by the FAA.
The NTSB does not assign fault or blame for an accident or incident; rather, as specified by NTSB regulation, “accident/incident investigations are fact-finding proceedings with no formal issues and no adverse parties … and are not conducted for the purpose of determining the rights or liabilities of any person” (Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations section 831.4). Assignment of fault or legal liability is not relevant to the NTSB’s statutory mission to improve transportation safety by investigating accidents and incidents and issuing safety recommendations. In addition, statutory language prohibits the admission into evidence or use of any part of an NTSB report related to an accident in a civil action for damages resulting from a matter mentioned in the report (Title 49 United States Code section 1154(b)). A factual report that may be admissible under 49 United States Code section 1154(b) is available here.
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