- Date
- November 2, 2013, 13:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Superior, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N888DRBell 206B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20131102020059A
- Case key
- 88375
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 aircraft control while maneuvering during a long-line operation.
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 during the last long-line load of the day moving bags of cedar mulch, while on approach to the drop zone, he looked outside at the trees, and did not see any indication of wind; however, he felt a little shudder as the helicopter came out of translational lift. He again looked outside at the trees, and did not see any indication of wind, and continued his approach to the drop zone. Once over the drop zone, as he went to release the bag, he noticed that the remote hook plug had come unplugged. He decided to pick the load back up and move the bag over to the pile of mulch so he could land and manually unhook the bag. When he picked the bag off the ground, the helicopter started to spin to the right, which he was unable to stop. He noticed that the collective was in the full up position so he lowered it to stop the spinning; however, before he could arrest the spinning, the helicopter struck a pile of mulch, and rolled onto its right side, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the last long-line load of the day moving bags of cedar mulch, while on approach to the drop zone, he looked outside at the trees, and did not see any indication of wind; however, he felt a little shudder as the helicopter came out of translational lift. He again looked outside at the trees, and did not see any indication of wind, and continued his approach to the drop zone. Once over the drop zone, as he went to release the bag, he noticed that the remote hook plug had come unplugged. He decided to pick the load back up and move the bag over to the pile of mulch so he could land and manually unhook the bag. When he picked the bag off the ground, the helicopter started to spin to the right, which he was unable to stop. He noticed that the collective was in the full up position so he lowered it to stop the spinning; however, before he could arrest the spinning, the helicopter struck a pile of mulch, and rolled onto its right side, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N888DR
- Reported as
- Bell 206B (B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 327
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 13,298
- Engine
- Allison 250 SER 400HP, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 133
- Operator
- Montana Aero Inc
- Registered owner
- Montana Aero Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 2013 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- 90MT · Missoula, MT
- Destination
- Superior, MT
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,150 total · 360 in this make and model · 1,064.6 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.69 inHg
- Observed at
- MSO, 45 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 9, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 MB 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.