- Date
- February 3, 1994, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cathlamet, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N43823Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 26, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940203001429A
- Case key
- 41873
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
Load jettison was not performed.
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
During a long line operation the pilot reported that while the bucket was being filled with fertilizer it began to swing. The bucket caught on the loading truck and the pilot was unable to maintain control and subsequently the helicopter collided with the terrain.
Factual narrative
On February 3, 1994, at 1030 Pacific standard time, a Bell 206B, N43823, collided with the terrain during an external load operation, 16 miles north of Cathlamet, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the certificated commercial pilot received minor injuries.
It was reported that the helicopter was hovering over the ground crew truck with a bucket on the end of the long line. The ground crew were filling the bucket with fertilizer, when the bucket began swinging and caught on the truck. The pilot was unable to release the long line before the rotor blades contacted the nearby terrain. The pilot was unable to maintain control of the helicopter which struck the ground and began to roll down the hill. The long line became entangled in the trees and stopped the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43823
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4235
- Airframe hours
- 654
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20J, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 133
- Operator
- Reforestation Services Inc.
- Registered owner
- Reforestation Services Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 4, 1994 · 20 hours before
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
- 54
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 950 in this make and model · 27 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.