What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Bell TH-1L acft crashed und unk circ. Canby, OR. (.19)on November 25, 1997, approxiamtely 1120 pacific standard time, a Bell TH-1L rotorcraft, N8160G, registered to kenneth g. guthrie, d/b/a blue bird helicopters, and being flown by a commercial pilot was substantially damaged during an emergency landing in a field following a loss of control while in cruise approxiamtely five nautical miles south of Canby, Oregon. The pilot and six passengers sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which had been engaged in slinging christmas trees, was repositioning with the six member ground crew team. The flight was to have been operated under 14 CFR part 133 and originated from a site near the accident area. A witness reported observing the sling line fall from the rotorcraft while it was in cruise and impact the rear of the empennage. The FAA inspector on site reported finding fragments of aluminum rotor blade inbedded in the hook at the end of the long line. (.4)the pilot was repositioning the helicopter to a new work location with the 30 foot long-line in trail. While en route at 80 knots and 500 feet AGL, the pilot lost view of the line and hook in the aircraft's chin mirror when, in his words it 'became unstable.' Shortly thereafter, the hook impacted the tail-rotor blade assembly. The pilot then attempted to execute a run-on landing, but allowed his airspeed to bleed off beyond the point where he could maintain any directional control. The aircraft then began a right yaw and, after approximately 720 degrees of revolution, impacted the ground in a near level attitude with a near vertical flight path.
As the FAA filed it
BELL TH-1L ACFT CRASHED UND UNK CIRC. CANBY, OR. (.19)ON NOVEMBER 25, 1997, APPROXIAMTELY 1120 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BELL TH-1L ROTORCRAFT, N8160G, REGISTERED TO KENNETH G. GUTHRIE, D/B/A BLUE BIRD HELICOPTERS, AND BEING FLOWN BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE IN CRUISE APPROXIAMTELY FIVE NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF CANBY, OREGON. THE PILOT AND SIX PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT, WHICH HAD BEEN ENGAGED IN SLINGING CHRISTMAS TREES, WAS REPOSITIONING WITH THE SIX MEMBER GROUND CREW TEAM. THE FLIGHT WAS TO HAVE BEEN OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 133 AND ORIGINATED FROM A SITE NEAR THE ACCIDENT AREA. A WITNESS REPORTED OBSERVING THE SLING LINE FALL FROM THE ROTORCRAFT WHILE IT WAS IN CRUISE AND IMPACT THE REAR OF THE EMPENNAGE. THE FAA INSPECTOR ON SITE REPORTED FINDING FRAGMENTS OF ALUMINUM ROTOR BLADE INBEDDED IN THE HOOK AT THE END OF THE LONG LINE. (.4)THE PILOT WAS REPOSITIONING THE HELICOPTER TO A NEW WORK LOCATION WITH THE 30 FOOT LONG-LINE IN TRAIL. WHILE EN ROUTE AT 80 KNOTS AND 500 FEET AGL, THE PILOT LOST VIEW OF THE LINE AND HOOK IN THE AIRCRAFT'S CHIN MIRROR WHEN, IN HIS WORDS IT 'BECAME UNSTABLE.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE HOOK IMPACTED THE TAIL-ROTOR BLADE ASSEMBLY. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE A RUN-ON LANDING, BUT ALLOWED HIS AIRSPEED TO BLEED OFF BEYOND THE POINT WHERE HE COULD MAINTAIN ANY DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN A RIGHT YAW AND, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 720 DEGREES OF REVOLUTION, IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR LEVEL ATTITUDE WITH A NEAR VERTICAL FLIGHT PATH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.