20110725015689A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Sikorsky S-55B · Chelan, WA · July 25, 2011

Date: July 25, 2011 · 14:30 local
Place: Chelan, WA
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5663
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR11FA350
Reported as: Sikorsky S-55B
Reported engine: WRIGHT R-1300 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 900 total

N5663Registered now · Sikorsky S-55BS/N 55-1267 · Built 1959 Airframe modelSikorsky S-55B Engine modelWright R-1300 seriesReciprocating

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.

Pilot was conducting cherry drying operations involving slow hover flight/oge. Winds were gusty at the time of this operation. Pilot was at one end of tree row and started to turn back. Wind gust carried helicopter into known powerlines and main rotor severed two wires. One set wrapped itself around main rotor pitch change links and swashplate. Wrapped wires locked controls and caused a low rotor RPM situation. Aircraft hit ground flat at high angle and vertical speed. Upon impact aircraft exploded and burned. Pilot was killed in fire.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS CONDUCTING CHERRY DRYING OPERATIONS INVOLVING SLOW HOVER FLIGHT/OGE. WINDS WERE GUSTY AT THE TIME OF THIS OPERATION. PILOT WAS AT ONE END OF TREE ROW AND STARTED TO TURN BACK. WIND GUST CARRIED HELICOPTER INTO KNOWN POWERLINES AND MAIN ROTOR SEVERED TWO WIRES. ONE SET WRAPPED ITSELF AROUND MAIN ROTOR PITCH CHANGE LINKS AND SWASHPLATE. WRAPPED WIRES LOCKED CONTROLS AND CAUSED A LOW ROTOR RPM SITUATION. AIRCRAFT HIT GROUND FLAT AT HIGH ANGLE AND VERTICAL SPEED. UPON IMPACT AIRCRAFT EXPLODED AND BURNED. PILOT WAS KILLED IN FIRE.

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 WPR11FA350Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportChelan, WAThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering at a low altitude.Jul 25, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5663 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19740322008299AForced/Precautionary Landing · Corvallis, ORMar 22, 1974 · Substantial damage