- Date
- June 16, 1982, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- White Sulphur S, MT
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5785VAerospatiale SA 315B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820616022519A
- Case key
- 73038
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.
Analysis
The pilot landed beside a small building (called a dog house) which contained seismic instruments and recording equipment. He was scheduled to move the building and hooked a long line from it to the helicopter. After waiting about 45 minutes for final instructions, he received a call to look for a powder bag that was lost. The pilot forgot that the long line was attached to the small building and took off. After reaching the end of the long line, the helicopter was jerked to the ground and crashed. A member of the seismic crew was in the building and received minor injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5785V
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA 315B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5875
- Airframe hours
- 244
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARTOUSE IIIB, 858 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 133
- Operator
- Continental Heli Inc.
- Registered owner
- Continental Heli Inc.
- Departed
- White Sulphur S, MT
- Destination
- White Sulphur S, MT
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 23,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 66 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 163 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5785V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.