- Date
- May 21, 2016, 09:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Waitsburg, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N543SDBell OH 58
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160521005689A
- Case key
- 93237
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power line during low reconnaissance flight, which resulted in a power line strike, loss of control, and a subsequent hard landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was conducting a low reconnaissance flight prior to helicopter aerial application operations; during the low reconnaissance, the helicopter came in contact with a power line which caught on the left skid. The pilot further reported that, while under tension, a section of the power line "snapped" into the main rotor system resulting in a loss of control. Subsequently, the pilot performed an emergency autorotation to a wheat field which resulted in a hard landing followed by main rotor contact with and consequent separation of the tail boom. The fuselage and the tail boom were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported that a more thorough high reconnaissance flight prior to the low reconnaissance flight would have decreased the probability of this accident occurring.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was conducting a low reconnaissance flight prior to helicopter aerial application operations; during the low reconnaissance, the helicopter came in contact with a power line which caught on the left skid. The pilot further reported that, while under tension, a section of the power line "snapped" into the main rotor system resulting in a loss of control. Subsequently, the pilot performed an emergency autorotation to a wheat field which resulted in a hard landing followed by main rotor contact with and consequent separation of the tail boom. The fuselage and the tail boom were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported that a more thorough high reconnaissance flight prior to the low reconnaissance flight would have decreased the probability of this accident occurring.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N543SD
- Reported as
- Bell OH 58 (C)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 70-15543
- Built
- 1970
- Airframe hours
- 12,838.5
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 720, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Wilbur-Ellis Co
- Registered owner
- Wilbur-Ellis Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 18, 2016
- Departed
- Waitsburg, WA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Equipment
- None
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
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 11, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,418 total · 650 in this make and model · 3,313 as pilot in command · 178 in the last 90 days · 95 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- KALW, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.