- Date
- September 9, 1988, 19:10 local (Sep 10, 1988, 02:10 UTC)
- Place
- Entiat, WA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- CFAHYBell 204B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 40736
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 acft was on contract to state of WA and working to suppress a forest fire using a water bucket suspended on a long line. The acft had refueled at a temporary heliport at Entiat, WA and was enroute to the work area 15 NM sw of Entiat but did not arrive at the area. The wreckage was located on the eastern slope of steep mountains. There was evidence of inflt main rotor mast fracture and acft break-up. Wx data indicated strong gusty nw winds and mountain wave conditions in the area. Evidence indicated that the copilot was at the controls. This was the copilots first flt in the BH-204 and his first flt for this company.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CFAHY
- Reported as
- Bell 204B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2069
- Airframe hours
- 16,885
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-13B, 1,400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Operator
- Vancouver Island Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Vancouver Island Helic., Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 8, 1988 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- Entiat, WA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,850 total · 1,446 in this make and model · 162 in the last 90 days · 87 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 18 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EAT, 14 nm away