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20040811018899A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 205A-1 · Leavenworth, WA · August 11, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 11, 2004 · 10:21 local
Place
Leavenworth, WA
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N205XP
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA04TA158
Reported as
Bell 205A1
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
23,000 total
N205XPRegistration cancelled Jun 24, 2005 · Bell 205A-1S/N 30017 · Built 1968Airframe modelBell 205A-1Engine modelAlliedsign T5317A-1Turbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Aircraft was conducting external load operations, delivering pallets of equipment for forest service, under forest service contract. Witnesses reported that tail rotor struck tall snag as pilot was maneuvering to depart area with a light external load for another location, the tail rotor and 90 degree gearbox departed aircraft, and the aircraft crashed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATIONS, DELIVERING PALLETS OF EQUIPMENT FOR FOREST SERVICE, UNDER FOREST SERVICE CONTRACT. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT TAIL ROTOR STRUCK TALL SNAG AS PILOT WAS MANEUVERING TO DEPART AREA WITH A LIGHT EXTERNAL LOAD FOR ANOTHER LOCATION, THE TAIL ROTOR AND 90 DEGREE GEARBOX DEPARTED AIRCRAFT, AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA04TA158Accident · 1 fatalFinal reportLeavenworth, WAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the snag while hovering out of ground effect during an external load operation. Factors were the smoke jumper's misjudgment of the tree heights in the area, which resulted in the use of too short a long line, and…Aug 11, 2004 · Destroyed