Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pendleton, Oregon 97801
Tuesady, December 10, 1996 9:30 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Two restricted-category helicopters, each flown by a commercial pilot, departed from a controlled airport during VFR conditions and began performing an agricultural spraying operation at a local ranch. Later that morning, the weather conditions worsened as patchy fog began to move into the area. Both pilots ceased the spraying operation due to the weather, and each landed at the ranch. One of the pilots (second pilot) secured his helicopter and boarded the other pilot's (first pilot) helicopter with the intention of flying back to the controlled airport. A dog was also on board the helicopter. During the return flight, the first pilot contacted the airport control tower and reported that he was 'on top...looking for a hole' in the fog. The helicopter impacted hilly terrain and was destroyed. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The helicopter was not equipped for instrument flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot-in-command's attempt to conduct visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance with hilly terrain. A contributing factor in the accident was the presence of fog.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/10/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 930 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | PENDLETON |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97801 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 956 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PDT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1493 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1914 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 10 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1115 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4758R |
| NTSB Number | SEA97LA035 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 47G |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 47G |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6836 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2850 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5200 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WAHL, JOHN W. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1910 SW QUINNEY DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | PENDLETON |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97801 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WILDHORSE HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5003 NW A STREET |
| Operator City | PENDLETON |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 97801 |
| Operator Code | JUSL |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | PENDLETON |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 900 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PDT |
| Destination City | PENDLETON |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |