- Date
- July 28, 1986, 17:45 local (Jul 29, 1986, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Albany, OR
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9417ABell 47G3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860728036559A
- Case key
- 40455
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
A bell 47G3B1 crashed into the south santiam river after contacting power lines while on an instructional flight. The CFI (helicopter) plt received serious injuries and the private plt (airplane) helicopter student received minor injuries. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The instructor plt reported he and the student had been conducting 'confined area' landings and had departed one area for another. During the flt helicopter was flying down river into the setting sun. The CFI became aware of the pwr lines about 5 feet ahead and was unable to take corrective action. The CFI reported the power lines were unmarked and hidden by sunglare off the cockpit canopy and shade from trees along the river bank. The helicopter flipped over after contacting the wires and fell into the river. The flight was conducted about 50 feet above the river.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9417A
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3808
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-B1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pilot Personnel Int'L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 15, 1986
- Departed
- S30 · Lebanon, OR
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 347 total · 116 in this make and model · 229 as pilot in command · 98 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EUG, 37 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 N9417A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.