- Date
- July 11, 2014, 15:27 local (22:27 UTC)
- Place
- Kingston, WA
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N88771Bell 47K
- Defining event
- Landing: Settling with power/vortex ring state
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 89648
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 during the landing approach, which resulted in an excessive descent angle and settling with power.
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 was making an approach to landing on a shoreline. As the helicopter passed through 200 feet, it encountered settling with power. The pilot was unable to arrest the descent and the helicopter subsequently impacted the water. The main rotor blades and aircraft structure were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was making an approach to landing on a shoreline. As the helicopter passed through 200 feet, it encountered settling with power. The pilot was unable to arrest the descent and the helicopter subsequently impacted the water. The main rotor blades and aircraft structure were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88771
- Reported as
- Bell 47K
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2123
- Airframe hours
- 2,513
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 2014
- Departed
- WA61 · Kingston, WA
- Destination
- WA61 · Kingston, WA
- Airport
- WA61 · Thompson Airport
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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KPAE, 10 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.