- Date
- June 8, 2000, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bridgeport, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N49573Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000608011049A
- Case key
- 49394
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
Aircraft control was not maintained. Inadequate remedial action and diverted attention were factors.
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 reported that after touching down in a gravel pit that was being used as a refueling staging area, he opened the door to looked to the rear to ensure that the tail rotors were clear of obstructions, and that the landing skids made full ground contact. When he looked back into the cockpit, the nose of the helicopter was coming up and the helicopter was rocking back on the skids. The pilot applied forward cyclic control, when he felt the aft end of the landing skids lift off. The pilot does not recall his corrective actions after this, only that everything was in motion. The helicopter subsequently rolled over and came to rest on its left side. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On June 8, 2000, approximately 1230 Pacific daylight time, a Bell 206B, N49573, registered to and operated by Cascade Helicopters as a 14 CFR Part 91 flight, rolled over shortly after touchdown in a gravel pit near Bridgeport, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The flight departed from a field near Orondo, Washington, approximately 5 minutes prior to the accident.
The operator of the helicopter reported that the pilot had just landed the helicopter in a gravel pit that was to be used as a refueling staging area for the aerial cherry tree drying operation.
The pilot reported that after the helicopter landed, he opened the door and looked to the rear to ensure that the tail rotor was clear of obstructions and that the landing skids made full ground contact. When the pilot looked back into the cockpit, the nose of the helicopter was coming up and the helicopter was rocking back on the skids. The pilot applied forward cyclic control to lower the nose of the helicopter, when he felt the aft end of the landing skids lift off. The pilot stated that he does not recall his corrective actions after this, only that "very suddenly everything was in motion, then a feeling of impact." The helicopter subsequently rolled over and came to rest on its left side.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N49573
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1665
- Airframe hours
- 8,210
- Engine
- Allison 250C-20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cascade Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 7, 2000
- Departed
- Orondo, WA
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 15,550 total · 5,388 in this make and model · 14,950 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OMK, 22 nm away
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 N49573 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.