- Date
- July 4, 2005, 17:30 local (Jul 5, 2005, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Oroville, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N38926Bell 47G-2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050704014629A
- Case key
- 61867
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 failure of the throttle cable housing, which permitted the engine's RPM to decay to the idle position. Contributing factors were the trees and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
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 said that he was spraying cherries when the engine suddenly stopped. He attempted an autorotation, but the main rotor impacted cherry trees. The helicopter's main bubble was shattered, and the skids and frame were bent. Postimpact examination of the aircraft, by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, revealed that the throttle cable's housing had broken, which permitted the engine's RPM to decay to the idle position.
Factual narrative
On July 4, 2005, at 1730 Pacific daylight time, a Bell 47G-2A helicopter, N38926, was substantially damaged during a forced landing attempt, following a loss of engine power near Oroville, Washington. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. Waitsburg Helicopter Service was operating the flight under Title 14 CFR Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight. A flight plan had not been filed.
The pilot said that he was spraying cherries when the engine suddenly stopped. He attempted an auto rotation, but the main rotor impacted cherry trees. The helicopter's main bubble was shattered, and the skids and frame were bent.
Postimpact examination of the aircraft, by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, revealed that the throttle cable's housing had broken, which permitted the engine's RPM to decay to the idle position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38926
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- N.A.H. 1957-1
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Waitsburg Helicopter Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2005 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 0S7 · Oroville, WA
- Destination
- 0S7
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 10,000 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- OMK, 32 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 N38926 · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.