- Date
- September 9, 2020, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Randle, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N91TABell 206
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Case key
- 102112
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree while conducting an external load operation.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The commercial pilot reported that, while hovering the helicopter and maneuvering aft about 60 ft above ground level during an external load operation, the tail rotor impacted a tree. He immediately lost yaw control, and the helicopter began to rapidly turn right. The main rotor then impacted trees, and the helicopter spun to the ground. The helicopter was destroyed by a postcrash fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91TA
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3310
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 11,222.5
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C-20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Hagerman, Jess
- Registered owner
- Northwest Helicopters I INC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 10, 2020
- Departed
- Randle WA Fire Station, WA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- WN55 · Randle-Kiona Airpark
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Satellite tracking device
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
- 77
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 30,542 total · 23,136 in this make and model · 30,105 as pilot in command · 108 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 3009.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KCLS, 53 nm away