- Date
- November 22, 2006, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lyons, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1611WMcDonnell Douglas 369E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 26, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20061122024139A
- Case key
- 65021
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
A severing of the helicopter's cyclic and collective rods by one of the load lifting slings following the failure of the other sling. A contributing factor was the hard landing due to the fact that an autorotation was not possible.
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 moving Christmas trees during harvesting operations. He said that one of the two slings holding the load failed, and as the trees fell to the ground, the second sling "popped" into his rotor head. The pilot said that both the cyclic and collective were severed, and he lost all flight control. An autorotation was not possible and the helicopter fell to the ground and came to rest on its right side.
Factual narrative
On November 22, 2006, at approximately 1500 Pacific standard time, a McDonnell Douglas 369E helicopter, N1611W, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Lyons, Oregon. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant in the helicopter, was not injured. The flight was being operated by Menasha Forest Management Services LLC under Title 14 CFR Part 133. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local external-load flight that originated at approximately 1455 from an off field refueling location. No flight plan had been filed.
The pilot said that he was moving Christmas trees during harvesting operations. He said that one of the two slings holding the load failed, and as the trees fell to the ground, the second sling "popped" into his rotor head. The pilot said that both the cyclic and collective were severed, and he lost all flight control. An autorotation was not possible and the helicopter fell to the ground and came to rest on its right side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1611W
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas 369E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0319E
- Airframe hours
- 7,997
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Registered owner
- Menasha Forest Management Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 1, 2006
- Departed
- Lyons, OR
- Destination
- Lyons, OR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,659 total · 1,125 in this make and model · 3,538 as pilot in command · 207 in the last 90 days · 108 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- SLE, 19 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.