- Date
- July 28, 1982, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bryce Canyon, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N88389Bell UH1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 28, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820728049799A
- Case key
- 70066
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Loss of control - in flight
Terrain condition - high terrainFactor
Weather condition - high density altitudeFactor
Adequate rotor rpm - not maintainedCause
Load jettison - not performedCause
Analysis
The pilot was making an approach to a 10,000 ft mountain, let the RPM decay and made a hard landing. The density altitude was 12,500 feet. There was about 500 or 600 pounds of cargo on the long line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88389
- Reported as
- Bell UH1B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 63-8728
- Engine
- Lycoming 753-11, 1,100 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Beartooth
- Registered owner
- Blain Helicopters Sales, Inc.
- Departed
- Bryce Canyon, UT
- Destination
- Bryce Canyon, UT
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 9,300 total · 3,250 in this make and model · 8,540 as pilot in command · 146 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.