20180617008119A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Orondo, WA · June 17, 2018

Date: June 17, 2018 · 06:34 local
Place: Orondo, WA
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2762P
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA352
Reported as: Bell 206B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 714 total35 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

N2762PRegistered now · Bell 206BS/N 2711 Airframe modelBell 206B

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.

N2762P struck power lines while doing orchard work. The pilot of the helicopter states she performed previous flights in the orchard and was aware of the power line obstacle on the opposite side of a hill where she was drying cherries. The pilot forgot the power line was present. The aircraft struck the power line as the aircraft was slowly climbing over the hill, towards the power line. The main rotor of the helicopter struck the power line causing the aircraft to settle to the ground from approximately 30 feet AGL.

As the FAA filed it

N2762P STRUCK POWER LINES WHILE DOING ORCHARD WORK. THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER STATES SHE PERFORMED PREVIOUS FLIGHTS IN THE ORCHARD AND WAS AWARE OF THE POWER LINE OBSTACLE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF A HILL WHERE SHE WAS DRYING CHERRIES. THE PILOT FORGOT THE POWER LINE WAS PRESENT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE POWER LINE AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWLY CLIMBING OVER THE HILL, TOWARDS THE POWER LINE. THE MAIN ROTOR OF THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE POWER LINE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SETTLE TO THE GROUND FROM APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET AGL.

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 GAA18CA352Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportOrondo, WAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering at low altitude.Jun 17, 2018 · Substantial damage