Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Entiat, Washington 98822
Friday, September 9, 1988 19:10 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT WAS ON CONTRACT TO STATE OF WA AND WORKING TO SUPPRESS A FOREST FIRE USING A WATER BUCKET SUSPENDED ON A LONG LINE. THE ACFT HAD REFUELED AT A TEMPORARY HELIPORT AT ENTIAT, WA AND WAS ENROUTE TO THE WORK AREA 15 NM SW OF ENTIAT BUT DID NOT ARRIVE AT THE AREA. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON THE EASTERN SLOPE OF STEEP MOUNTAINS. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF INFLT MAIN ROTOR MAST FRACTURE AND ACFT BREAK-UP. WX DATA INDICATED STRONG GUSTY NW WINDS AND MOUNTAIN WAVE CONDITIONS IN THE AREA. EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE COPILOT WAS AT THE CONTROLS. THIS WAS THE COPILOTS FIRST FLT IN THE BH-204 AND HIS FIRST FLT FOR THIS COMPANY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/9/1988
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1910
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City ENTIAT
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98822
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 9
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1845 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 140
Weather Observation Facility ID EAT
Elevation of weather observation facility 1245
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 14
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 15000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 18
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 23
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 5010
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) 6012
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 10 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1015
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38465
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:09PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number CFAHY
NTSB Number SEA88FA176
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELL
Aircraft Model 204B
Aircraft Series Identifier 204B
Aircraft Serial Number 2069
Certified Max Gross Weight 9500
Aircraft Category Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class Foreign Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 7
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Sep 8 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 13
Airframe Hours 16885
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name VANCOUVER ISLAND HELIC., LTD
Aircraft Owner Street Address #1 9600 CANORA ROAD
Aircraft Owner City SIDNEY
Aircraft Owner State CD
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name VANCOUVER ISLAND HELICOPTERS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address #1 9600 CANORA ROAD
Operator City SIDNEY
Operator State CD
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Unknown
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Unknown
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Unknown
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Other Work Use
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City ENTIAT
Departure State WA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1857
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --