- Date
- July 13, 1988, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Oakridge, OR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3128GAerospatiale SA315B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880713026499A
- Case key
- 40846
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
While slinging a log the pilot allowed the log/sling line to contact a tree. The momentum of the log and helicopter bowed the tree over when the line contacted it. The pilot chose to release the log from the sling line rather than disengage the entire line and log from the helicopter. Once the log separated, the line caught in the tree which returned to an upright attitude and pulled the line tight. The force applied to the helicopter as the line tightened, in turn rotated the helicopter about its longitudinal axis to a point whereby the pilot lost control. Shortly thereafter the helicopter descended into the trees and collided with the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3128G
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA315B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2488
- Airframe hours
- 3,184
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARTOUSTE IIIB, 562 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Operator
- Gradney Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Elling Halvorson, Inc.
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 12, 1988 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- Lowell, OR
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,915 total · 4,009 in this make and model · 9,765 as pilot in command · 124 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.