- Date
- December 17, 1982, 05:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- North Plains, OR
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5686ZEnstrom 280C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 17, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821217064399A
- Case key
- 72044
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
At about 0530 PST, the pilot departed from his home at ridge field, WA on a flight to hillsboro, OR. According to the pilot's instructor, the normal route used for this trip would been to proceed on a southerly heading to cornelius pass, go through the pass, then continue to hillsboro. The helicoptercrashed about 2.5 mi northwest of cornelius pass. The 0548 PST hillsboro wx was 1400 ptly obscd, 3600 ovc, vis 7 mi, temp 45, dew pt 43, wind 170 deg at 10 gs'tg 30 KTS. The elevation at hillsboro was 204 ft, the crash site was at about 900 ft. the pilot's instructor was searching the area at 0200. He stated the crash site was obscured by clouds, there was strong turbulence, the wind was gusting from the south at 30 to 40 KTS, and there was heavy rain. An examination of the site revealed the helicopter had collided with trees on a steep slope while in a turn. No preimpact/ mechanical malfunction or failures were found that would have attributed to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5686Z
- Reported as
- Enstrom 280C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1166
- Airframe hours
- 645
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-E1AD, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul David Zimmerly
- Registered owner
- Paul David Zimmerly
- Departed
- Ridgefield, WA
- Destination
- Hillsboro, OR
- Airport
- H10
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Flight hours
- 328 total · 313 in this make and model · 294 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 113 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- H10, 8 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.