What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 6, 2007 the pilot privacy data omitted was acting as pilot in command of N48MP a Hughes 369 helicopter performing game capture for the Oregon state departure of fish & wildlife. The pilot privacy data omitted is the owner of valley helicopters inc. dba: leading edge aviation of clarkston, Washington, and a FAA 135 air carrier. The purpose of this flight was net gunning elk caves from the helicopter in an area located two miles east of Troy, Oregon. In an interview the pilot privacy data omitted stated that he had landed after his company's net gunner, seated in the left rear seat of the helicopter had net captured an elk calf. The other passenger from the Oregon department of fish & wildlife department unbuckled the front right seat of the helicopter and climbed out of the helicopter to attend to the animal. After the passenger departed the helicopter the pilot privacy data omitted departed in the helicopter vertically to an altitude of 15 feet then began a left hand turn. He then noticed that the passenger was not standing on the ground. At this point he said he felt a change in the helicopter's controls as the passenger that had apparently become entangled on the helicopter's right skid tube and then fell off. The Oregon fish & wildlife employee had fallen off the helicopter and into an apple tree located an estimated 30 feet from the take-off point from an altitude of 15 feet. After then landing the pilot privacy data omitted and his employee found the man unconscious about three feet off the ground in the tree. They removed the injured man from the tree. The pilot privacy data omitted then flew by himself back to the Troy, Oregon airport to call 911 for medical assistance. The passenger's injuries included a broken arm, leg, ribs, and fractured sternum. He was transported to ohsu hospital in portland, Oregon. According to the pilot privacy data omitted, the injured passenger stated as the helicopter departed vertically, and his microphone cord on his SPH-4 military style flight helmet had become caught on the helicopter's skid. As the helicopter was in flight he was unable to reach the skid tube or undo his helmet's chinstrap. The cord eventually broke and he fell into the tree receiving substantial injuries. There was no damage to the helicopter. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 6, 2007 THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF N48MP A HUGHES 369 HELICOPTER PERFORMING GAME CAPTURE FOR THE OREGON STATE DEPARTURE OF FISH & WILDLIFE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS THE OWNER OF VALLEY HELICOPTERS INC. DBA: LEADING EDGE AVIATION OF CLARKSTON, WASHINGTON, AND A FAA 135 AIR CARRIER. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FLIGHT WAS NET GUNNING ELK CAVES FROM THE HELICOPTER IN AN AREA LOCATED TWO MILES EAST OF TROY, OREGON. IN AN INTERVIEW THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE HAD LANDED AFTER HIS COMPANY'S NET GUNNER, SEATED IN THE LEFT REAR SEAT OF THE HELICOPTER HAD NET CAPTURED AN ELK CALF. THE OTHER PASSENGER FROM THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT UNBUCKLED THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT OF THE HELICOPTER AND CLIMBED OUT OF THE HELICOPTER TO ATTEND TO THE ANIMAL. AFTER THE PASSENGER DEPARTED THE HELICOPTER THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED IN THE HELICOPTER VERTICALLY TO AN ALTITUDE OF 15 FEET THEN BEGAN A LEFT HAND TURN. HE THEN NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER WAS NOT STANDING ON THE GROUND. AT THIS POINT HE SAID HE FELT A CHANGE IN THE HELICOPTER'S CONTROLS AS THE PASSENGER THAT HAD APPARENTLY BECOME ENTANGLED ON THE HELICOPTER'S RIGHT SKID TUBE AND THEN FELL OFF. THE OREGON FISH & WILDLIFE EMPLOYEE HAD FALLEN OFF THE HELICOPTER AND INTO AN APPLE TREE LOCATED AN ESTIMATED 30 FEET FROM THE TAKE-OFF POINT FROM AN ALTITUDE OF 15 FEET. AFTER THEN LANDING THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HIS EMPLOYEE FOUND THE MAN UNCONSCIOUS ABOUT THREE FEET OFF THE GROUND IN THE TREE. THEY REMOVED THE INJURED MAN FROM THE TREE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN FLEW BY HIMSELF BACK TO THE TROY, OREGON AIRPORT TO CALL 911 FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. THE PASSENGER'S INJURIES INCLUDED A BROKEN ARM, LEG, RIBS, AND FRACTURED STERNUM. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO OHSU HOSPITAL IN PORTLAND, OREGON. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE INJURED PASSENGER STATED AS THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED VERTICALLY, AND HIS MICROPHONE CORD ON HIS SPH-4 MILITARY STYLE FLIGHT HELMET HAD BECOME CAUGHT ON THE HELICOPTER'S SKID. AS THE HELICOPTER WAS IN FLIGHT HE WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE SKID TUBE OR UNDO HIS HELMET'S CHINSTRAP. THE CORD EVENTUALLY BROKE AND HE FELL INTO THE TREE RECEIVING SUBSTANTIAL INJURIES. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N48MP · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.