- Date
- June 25, 1985, 10:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hoquiam, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 fatal
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4991DBell UH-1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850625057139A
- Case key
- 40187
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The helicopter was being used during an external load operation to move large blocks of wood. However, while hovering, the sling broke. Subsequently, a block of wood struck a company employee on the head while he was working on the ground. The employee was fatally injured.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4991D
- Reported as
- Bell UH-1B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 61-765
- Airframe hours
- 1,995
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-11D, 684 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Registered owner
- Air Lift Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1984 · 55 hours before
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,700 total · 2,370 in this make and model · 190 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.