- Date
- May 16, 1992, 16:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Yamhill, OR
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 3 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9000EAerospatiale SA-341G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920516015209A
- Case key
- 41576
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot misjudged a maneuver performed at inadequate altitude.
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 giving rides to employees at a company picnic, the pilot loaded four passengers, flew to his base, refueled, had a minor repair completed, then departed on the return flight. During the return flight, he told the passengers that the helicopter was the aircraft used in a television series, then demonstrated a series of maneuvers related to those used in the television show. During a maneuver, the helicopter collided with trees and the surface in hilly wooded terrain, and burned after impact. One passenger assisted the other three passengers out of the aircraft. One passenger died while waiting for rescue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9000E
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA-341G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1471
- Airframe hours
- 2,150
- Engine
- Turbomeca ASTAZOU IIIA, 592 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Teufel Nursery, Inc
- Registered owner
- Teufel Nursery, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 12, 1992 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- HIO · Hillsboro, OR
- Destination
- OR05 · Flying M Ranch, 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,253 total · 726 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HIO, 17 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.