What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On February 23, 2004 N6257P, a military surplus 1963 garlick UH1-H helicopter crashed at a logging site located 16 miles north of Ellensburg, Washington on us forest service property. The aircraft sustained substantial damage or maybe determined to be unrepairable at a later date. This aircraft was owned and operated by skyline helicopters inc. of college place, Washington. The pilot received facial lacerations and spinal compression injuries as a result of the accident. He was admitted and released from the wenatchee, Washington hospital after three days of treatment. At the time of the accident N6257P had just released a load of logs. The helicopter was configured with a 180-foot long line, and a 15-foot choker. Both the witness, and pilot interviews described a tail rotor failure from a 195-foot high hover over the log deck. The loader from the ground described an "explosion" from the back of the helicopter, and stated the helicopter spun to the ground where the rotor blades contacted the log deck, and the engine area on the actual loader. The post accident investigation indicates that the engine was running at the time of the accident. It appears that the damage to the composite main rotor blades and transmission was as a result of the emergency landing. The post crash investigation of the tail rotor section indicates an in-flight tail rotor malfunction. Physical evidence indicates that the tail rotor blade actually hit the vertical fin between the 42 and 90-degree gearboxes. This impact resulted in a sudden stoppage of the tail rotor, and twisted the drive shaft located between the gearboxes into two pieces. An inspection of the tail rotor pitch assembly revealed that the "slider" attached to the crosshead had failed. This could have possibly allowed the tail rotor blades into an uncommanded feather position. With the high inertia of the tail rotor this could possibly allow the tail rotor to contact the helicopter's vertical fin. This slider, military part #204-010-720-3 is a life-limited part, and was not marked with any part numbers as required by FAA regulation. There is a possibility that this slider is an unapproved part. The 90-degree gearbox, complete tail rotor pitch assembly, and tail rotor blades will be forwarded to the NTSB office seatlle, Washington. The NTSB will likely complete an analysis of these parts at their Washington d.c. NTSB lab or the bell Textron lab in fort worth, Texas. Nothing follows.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON FEBRUARY 23, 2004 N6257P, A MILITARY SURPLUS 1963 GARLICK UH1-H HELICOPTER CRASHED AT A LOGGING SITE LOCATED 16 MILES NORTH OF ELLENSBURG, WASHINGTON ON US FOREST SERVICE PROPERTY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OR MAYBE DETERMINED TO BE UNREPAIRABLE AT A LATER DATE. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY SKYLINE HELICOPTERS INC. OF COLLEGE PLACE, WASHINGTON. THE PILOT RECEIVED FACIAL LACERATIONS AND SPINAL COMPRESSION INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. HE WAS ADMITTED AND RELEASED FROM THE WENATCHEE, WASHINGTON HOSPITAL AFTER THREE DAYS OF TREATMENT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT N6257P HAD JUST RELEASED A LOAD OF LOGS. THE HELICOPTER WAS CONFIGURED WITH A 180-FOOT LONG LINE, AND A 15-FOOT CHOKER. BOTH THE WITNESS, AND PILOT INTERVIEWS DESCRIBED A TAIL ROTOR FAILURE FROM A 195-FOOT HIGH HOVER OVER THE LOG DECK. THE LOADER FROM THE GROUND DESCRIBED AN "EXPLOSION" FROM THE BACK OF THE HELICOPTER, AND STATED THE HELICOPTER SPUN TO THE GROUND WHERE THE ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE LOG DECK, AND THE ENGINE AREA ON THE ACTUAL LOADER. THE POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. IT APPEARS THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE COMPOSITE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND TRANSMISSION WAS AS A RESULT OF THE EMERGENCY LANDING. THE POST CRASH INVESTIGATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR SECTION INDICATES AN IN-FLIGHT TAIL ROTOR MALFUNCTION. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE ACTUALLY HIT THE VERTICAL FIN BETWEEN THE 42 AND 90-DEGREE GEARBOXES. THIS IMPACT RESULTED IN A SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF THE TAIL ROTOR, AND TWISTED THE DRIVE SHAFT LOCATED BETWEEN THE GEARBOXES INTO TWO PIECES. AN INSPECTION OF THE TAIL ROTOR PITCH ASSEMBLY REVEALED THAT THE "SLIDER" ATTACHED TO THE CROSSHEAD HAD FAILED. THIS COULD HAVE POSSIBLY ALLOWED THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES INTO AN UNCOMMANDED FEATHER POSITION. WITH THE HIGH INERTIA OF THE TAIL ROTOR THIS COULD POSSIBLY ALLOW THE TAIL ROTOR TO CONTACT THE HELICOPTER'S VERTICAL FIN. THIS SLIDER, MILITARY PART #204-010-720-3 IS A LIFE-LIMITED PART, AND WAS NOT MARKED WITH ANY PART NUMBERS AS REQUIRED BY FAA REGULATION. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THIS SLIDER IS AN UNAPPROVED PART. THE 90-DEGREE GEARBOX, COMPLETE TAIL ROTOR PITCH ASSEMBLY, AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE NTSB OFFICE SEATLLE, WASHINGTON. THE NTSB WILL LIKELY COMPLETE AN ANALYSIS OF THESE PARTS AT THEIR WASHINGTON D.C. NTSB LAB OR THE BELL TEXTRON LAB IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS. NOTHING FOLLOWS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.