What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter involved in a logging operation and was attempting to lift a log when the wind blew the acft down to the ground with the log still partially attached.(.19) on October 5, 1998, approximately 1430 mountain daylight time, an aerospatiale SA-315B llama, N5803J, registered to and being operated by central copters, inc., and being flown by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with trees and terrain following a loss of control near Big Sky, Montana. The pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was engaged in logging operations associated with the clearing of a recreational ski lodge construction site, was to have been operated under 14 CFR 133, and originated from a location near the accident earlier in the afternoon. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that the ground choker attached the long line around three trees to be lifted. One of the trees, although laying on the ground in a horizontal aspect, was still rooted. During the lift operation the pilot encountered resistance on the long line and attempted to release the line, initially without success. The helicopter's tail rotor subsequently impacted a nearby tree and the rotorcraft then crashed out of control. Gusty wind conditions existed at the time of the accident. (-23)during FAR 133 external load operations, the ground crew attached 3 logs to a long line, instead of two. The one log was not marked (paint) nor supposed to be lifted, and was still rooted to the ground. The helicopter attempted to lift the logs. When the logs would not lift, he attempted to release the load. The load would not release immediately. The rooted log came loose from the ground causing the helicopter to rotate longitudinally at such an angle that the tail rotor contacted trees and separated from the a/c. this resulted in total loss of control causing the a/c to impact the ground. The pilot later stated that an oversize clevis was attached to the helicopter hook. This may have caused the electrical release to not open and delayed the mechanical release. The pilot seat separated from the a/c floor upon impact. The pilot was wearing a helmet which possibly saved his life during impact.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER INVOLVED IN A LOGGING OPERATION AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO LIFT A LOG WHEN THE WIND BLEW THE ACFT DOWN TO THE GROUND WITH THE LOG STILL PARTIALLY ATTACHED.(.19) ON OCTOBER 5, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1430 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE SA-315B LLAMA, N5803J, REGISTERED TO AND BEING OPERATED BY CENTRAL COPTERS, INC., AND BEING FLOWN BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, WAS DESTROYED DURING AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TREES AND TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL NEAR BIG SKY, MONTANA. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS ENGAGED IN LOGGING OPERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLEARING OF A RECREATIONAL SKI LODGE CONSTRUCTION SITE, WAS TO HAVE BEEN OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR 133, AND ORIGINATED FROM A LOCATION NEAR THE ACCIDENT EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON. THE PILOT REPORTED TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT THE GROUND CHOKER ATTACHED THE LONG LINE AROUND THREE TREES TO BE LIFTED. ONE OF THE TREES, ALTHOUGH LAYING ON THE GROUND IN A HORIZONTAL ASPECT, WAS STILL ROOTED. DURING THE LIFT OPERATION THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED RESISTANCE ON THE LONG LINE AND ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE LINE, INITIALLY WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL ROTOR SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED A NEARBY TREE AND THE ROTORCRAFT THEN CRASHED OUT OF CONTROL. GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23)DURING FAR 133 EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATIONS, THE GROUND CREW ATTACHED 3 LOGS TO A LONG LINE, INSTEAD OF TWO. THE ONE LOG WAS NOT MARKED (PAINT) NOR SUPPOSED TO BE LIFTED, AND WAS STILL ROOTED TO THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER ATTEMPTED TO LIFT THE LOGS. WHEN THE LOGS WOULD NOT LIFT, HE ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE LOAD. THE LOAD WOULD NOT RELEASE IMMEDIATELY. THE ROOTED LOG CAME LOOSE FROM THE GROUND CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ROTATE LONGITUDINALLY AT SUCH AN ANGLE THAT THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED TREES AND SEPARATED FROM THE A/C. THIS RESULTED IN TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSING THE A/C TO IMPACT THE GROUND. THE PILOT LATER STATED THAT AN OVERSIZE CLEVIS WAS ATTACHED TO THE HELICOPTER HOOK. THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL RELEASE TO NOT OPEN AND DELAYED THE MECHANICAL RELEASE. THE PILOT SEAT SEPARATED FROM THE A/C FLOOR UPON IMPACT. THE PILOT WAS WEARING A HELMET WHICH POSSIBLY SAVED HIS LIFE DURING IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.