- Date
- September 17, 2001, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Troy, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N458CCBell 205
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 3, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- U.S. Forest Service
- FAA report
- 20010917024879I
- Case key
- 53484
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-in-command's failure to maintain seperation/clearance from trees while maneuvering.
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 was returning from an external load long-line firefighting flight when he noticed a vertical vibration above 90 knots. After landing at Troy he noticed damage to the main rotor blades. Subsequently, he noticed that pine needles had been ingested by the helicopter's induction system. The pilot reported that he had no memory of hitting any objects during the operation. The weather was clear with 20 miles visibility, and the sky was partially obscured by smoke. There was no report of mechanical failure or malfunction with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
On September 17, 2001, about 1600 mountain daylight time, a Bell 205 helicopter, N458CC, sustained substantial damage following a main rotor blade strike while conducting firefighting operations near Libby, Montana. The helicopter is registered to Billings Flying Service, Billings, Montana, and was being operated by the United States Forest Service (USFS) as a public use aircraft. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the helicopter, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and USFS VFR flight following procedures were in effect.
In a written statement dated September 26, 2001, the pilot reported that he was maneuvering near a shoreline in an effort to get a full bucket of water. "I made 40-50 bucket drops on the fire and flew out my fuel cycle before breaking off from the fire and returned to Troy Airport. On the return flight to Troy airport, I noticed a vertical vibration at approximately 90 knots (forward airspeed)." He continued to Troy airport at a slower speed to avoid the vibration. After landing without incident, the pilot noted damage to the helicopter's main rotor blades. He also noted that pine needles had been ingested into the aircraft's induction system. The pilot did not recall coming into contact with anything during the flight.
Personnel from the USFS reported that the helicopter was conducting external load long-line (100 feet) operations when the helicopters main rotor blades contacted trees.
Postaccident examination of the helicopter, by a certified mechanic, revealed that both main rotor blades sustained substantial damage.
The pilot stated that the weather was clear with more than 20 miles visibility, with the sky partially obscured by occasional smoke.
The pilot reported no mechanical failure or malfunction of the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N458CC
- Reported as
- Bell 205
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 67-17678
- Airframe hours
- 8,668
- Engine
- Allied Signal T-53-L-13B, 1,300 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Operator
- U.S. Forest Service
- Registered owner
- Billings Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 2001 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- 57S · Troy, MT
- Destination
- MT
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 29, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17,630 total · 3,530 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 315° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.