- Date
- September 25, 2010, 19:00 local (Sep 26, 2010, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gaston, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7860SBell 47G
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100925046309A
- Case key
- 77404
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's failure to maintain tail rotor clearance while landing on a transport trailer positioned on an uneven surface.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he completed his last forest spray application for the day and was landing on a trailer used for transporting the helicopter. As the skids touched down on the trailer, he lowered the collective to the full down position. The helicopter abruptly tilted aft on the skid heals, and he applied up collective. The helicopter started to rotate to the right and he was unable to counter the rotation with the left anti-torque pedal. The pilot closed the throttle as the helicopter rotated 180 degrees to the right. The helicopter then contacted the side of the trailer and came to a full stop. The pilot reported that the trailer was parked on an uneven surface and that the slope and his abrupt movement of the collective resulted in the tail rotor coming into contact with the trailer. The pilot also felt that the accident could have been avoided if the trailer were on level terrain and he had waited to lower the collective until after establishing positive and complete skid contact with the surface of the trailer. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he completed his last forest spray application for the day, and was landing on the trailer used for transporting the helicopter. He stated that he placed the landing skids on the trailer, and lowered the collective to the full down position. The helicopter abruptly tilted aft on the skid heals, and he applied up collective. The helicopter started to rotate to the right, and he was unable to counter the rotation with the left anti torque pedal. The pilot closed the throttle as the helicopter rotated 180 degrees to the right. The helicopter then contacted the side of the trailer, and came to a full stop. The engine was not running at this point, so he shut off the battery master switch, and disconnected the battery to avoid potential ignition of any fuel. The pilot reported that the trailer was parked on an uneven surface with the up side at the tail of the helicopter. He thought that the slope and his abrupt movement of the collective resulted in the tail rotor coming into contact with the trailer deck. The pilot also felt that the accident could have been avoided if the trailer were on level terrain, and he had waited to lower the collective until after establishing positive and complete full landing skid gear contact with the surface of the trailer. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7860S
- Reported as
- Bell 47G (3B1)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6627
- Airframe hours
- 8,871
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce Allison 250, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Farm and Forest Helicopter Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Farm and Forest Helicopter Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 7, 2010
- Departed
- Gaston, OR
- Destination
- Gaston, 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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 29, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,600 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 239 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KHIO
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 444 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7860S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.