- Date
- June 15, 2021, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Townsend, MT
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N398MBell UH-1H
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Settling with power/vortex ring state
- 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
- FAA report
- 20210615007759A
- Case key
- 103312
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 helicopter control after an encounter with settling with power during approach at an altitude that was too low for recovery, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 approach to the landing area, he made visual contact with the airport manager who cleared him to land on the west end of the pull-off tarmac. The pilot noted evidence of wind from the blowing willows from south-west. He initiated a left downwind approach, and upon turning from base to final at 500 ft above ground level, the helicopter started to settle with power and the pilot experienced a nearly direct tailwind. Due to the approach speed and proximity to the ground, the pilot was unable to fly out, so he leveled the helicopter and committed to landing. The helicopter touched down hard, spun right about 120° and rolled left upside down. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and postaccident fire. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N398M
- Reported as
- Bell UH-1H
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 65-09984
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 14,620
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-L-703, 1,800 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Firefighting · Public use
- Operator
- Usda Forest Service Fepp
- Registered owner
- Usda Forest Service Fepp
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 7, 2020
- Departed
- HELENa, MT
- Destination
- Townsend Helispot, MT
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- NA
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 18, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,079 total · 2,681 in this make and model · 6,429 as pilot in command · 99 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KHLN, 33 nm away
- METAR
- KHLN 152253Z 31010KT 10SM CLR 32/09 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP078 T03220094
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.3 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.