- Date
- July 19, 1994, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- John Day, OR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N324WNKaman HH43F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940719024449A
- Case key
- 41975
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
Failure of a turbine compressor wheel. The lack of suitable terrain for an autorotation/forced landing was a factor.
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 pilot stated that the engine disintegrated in flight. He attempted an autorotation into trees, due to the lack of suitable forced landing sites. Inspection of the engine revealed that a turbine compressor wheel had failed.
Factual narrative
On July 19, 1994, approximately 1300 Pacific daylight time, a Kaman HH43F, N324WN, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain during a forced landing after a loss of power while engaged in helicopter logging operations near John Day, Oregon. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was seriously injured. There was no flight plan filed for the flight, which was conducted in visual meteorological conditions.
The pilot stated that the engine "grenaded" in flight. He attempted an autorotation into trees, as he was over a select cut with no unobstructed place to land. He said that he flew around several larger trees in an attempt to keep the rotor blades intact as long as possible. At about 40 feet elevation, with no alternatives he pulled pitch to check his descent rate, settling into the trees. Inspection by FAA inspectors noted that the number two compressor wheel failed, and the entire wheel came out of the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N324WN
- Reported as
- Kaman HH43F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 62-4562
- Airframe hours
- 4,552
- Engine
- Lycoming T-53-L11D, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Operator
- Hiser Aviation, Inc
- Registered owner
- Hiser Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 30, 1994
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,500 total · 150 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots, gusting 7
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.