# Incident 19970328012469I: Bell 206B, Philomath, OR, March 28, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 28, 1997, 15:00 local time
- Place: Philomath, OR
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: QRNG
- Location: 44.5421° N, 123.3600° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Philomath, OR, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.5421&lon=-123.3600&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5016G (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,100 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970328012469I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: ON MARCH 28, 1997, AFTER COMPLETING THE FINAL FLIGHT OF A 3 OR 4 DAY HELICOPTER CHRISTMAS TREE FERTILIZING OPERATION, IN A TIGHT AREA SURROUNDED BY TALL TREES, HELICOPTER ATP PILOT KENNETH COX, FLYING A BELL 206B, APPROACHED THE LANDING AREA TO DROP OFF HIS UNDERSLUNG FERTILIZER BUCKET AND TO REFUEL THE HELICOPTER. WHILE FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE OF A GROUND SIGNAL MAN, MR. TOM WILSON, THE PILOT LOWERED THE BUCKET TO THE GROUND, THEN, WITH THE BUCKET STILL ATTACHED, HE BACKED UP TO LAND IN AN AREA TO THE LEFT OF AND BETWEEN THE FERTILIZER TRUCK AND A REFUELING TRUCK. AFTER HIS GROUND SIGNAL MAN CLEARED HIM TO LAND, THE PILOT LOWERED THE HELICOPTER TO THE GROUND UNTIL HE FELT THE REAR HEELS OF THE HELICOPTER SKIDS TOUCH THE GRAVEL LANDING AREA. THEN AS HE WAS COMPLETING THE LANDING HE FELT THE IMPACT, AND HEARD THE NOISE, OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRIKING THE JIB PORTION AND DANGLING CHAIN OF "A" FRAME TYPE BUCKET SUPPORT STRUCTURE THAT WAS HIGH IN THE AIR AND PROTRUDING SEVERAL FEET OVER THE TAIL END OF THE FUEL TRUCK. THE PILOT AND THE SIGNAL MAN BOTH STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THEY WERE WORKING IN A TIGHT AREA THERE WAS SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE FOR A SAFE LANDING. THEY HAD,INFACT PERFORMED 50 OR 60 SIMILAR LANDINGS IN THE SAME AREA DURING THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. THE SIGNAL MAN STATED THAT AFTER HE GAVE THE PILOT FINAL CLEARANCE TO LAND, HE TURNED TO WALK AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE AREA WHEN HE HEARD THE IMPACT. OTHER WITNESSES, INCLUDING THE PILOT AND THE OWNER OF THE HELICOPTER, WHO WAS SITTING IN ONE OF THE TRUCKS, STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER MAY HAVE DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT TOWARD THE VEHICLES AS IT TOUCHED DOWN, OR THAT IT MAY HAVE SKIDDED ON THE GRAVEL. HOWEVER, NO ONE WAS CERTAIN AS TO WHICH OF THE TWO SITUATIONS OCCURRED. ALL PERSONS INVOLVED FELT THEY WERE OPERATING IN A SAFE MANNER. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND "NORMAL" FOR THE AREA OF OPERATION.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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