- Date
- February 10, 1986, 20:15 local (Feb 11, 1986, 04:15 UTC)
- Place
- Cougar, WA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N609PDMcDonnell Douglas 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860210002599A
- Case key
- 40271
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
The helicopter departed the landing area after a night photography session across the valley floor from the Mt. St. Helens volcano. Prior to departure the plt reported the weather was closing in and getting 'nasty'. Wx conditions as reported prior to departure support the contention a meteorological event caused the plt to lose visual contact with the horizon and impact terrain while descending to the valley floor at cruise speed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N609PD
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0754S
- Airframe hours
- 4,481
- Engine
- Allison 250-20-C, 375 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Jim Hamilton, doing business as Greenleaf Helcopters
- Registered owner
- Robinson Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 4, 1985 · 55 hours before
- Destination
- 60S · Vancouver, WA
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,711 total · 500 in this make and model · 4,600 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 130° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PDX, 43 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 N609PD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.