Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Estacada, Oregon 97023
Wednesday, November 15, 1989 13:00 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USE IN AN EXTERNAL LOAD OPN TO MOVE CHRISTMAS TREES FROM A FIELD TO A DROP ZONE (DZ) FOR LOADING ON A TRUCK. DURING AN APCH TO THE DZ, THE PLT DID NOT MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE OR CLEARANCE TO KEEP THE LOAD CLEAR OF OBSTRUCTIONS. SUBSEQUENTLY, SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER & IT TRAVELED 100 TO 200 FT BACKWARDS. IT THEN HIT THE GROUND TAIL 1ST, ROLLED OVER & WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. TREES WERE SCATTERED BETWEEN THE OBJECT & THE MAIN WRECKAGE. AN EXAM REVEALED THE PLT HAD ONLY A MANUAL MEANS OF RELEASING THE LOAD AT THE HELICOPTER. THE ELECTRICAL RELEASE SYS HAD BEEN REWIRED TO PROVIDE POWER TO THE BOTTOM HOOK ONLY. ONE OF THE GROUND PSNL RPRTD THE HOOK HAD BEEN MALFUNCTIONING. THE PLT HAD 5 HRS OF DUAL TIME & 8 HRS OF PLT-IN-COMMAND TIME IN EXTERNAL LOAD OPNS; HOWEVER, SHE DID NOT POSSESS THE REQUIRED LETTER OF COMPETENCY FOR THIS OPN.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT MISJUDGED CLEARANCE BETWEEN HER EXTERNAL LOAD AND THE OBSTRUCTION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE OBSTRUCTION, IMPROPER MAINTENANCE AND MODIFICATION OF THE EXTERNAL LOAD LINE/HOOK BY THE OPERATOR, FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO JETTISON THE EXTERNAL LOAD, AND A FAILURE OF THE OPERATOR MANAGEMENT TO ASSURE THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED ADEQUATE TRAINING/CERTIFICATION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/15/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | ESTACADA |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97023 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1993 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 15 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1351 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41189 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9592F |
| NTSB Number | SEA90LA016 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 269C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 440296 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 80 |
| Airframe Hours | 3180 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN INMAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 12405 SW RIVER RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | HILLSBORO |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97123 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HELICOPTER ENTERPRISES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 628 ELLIS AVE. |
| Operator City | LAKE OSWEGO |
| Operator State | OR |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 97034 |
| Operator Code | |
| 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 | 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1245 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| 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 | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |