Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pendleton, Oregon 97801
Wednesday, December 3, 1986 17:32 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED PENDLETON ON AN EMERG MED SVC/MED-EVAC (EMS) FLT TO TRANSPORT A PATIENT TO PORTLAND. AFTER DELIVERING THE PATIENT, THE PLT TOOK OFF ON THE RTN FLT WITH 2 MED PSNL ABOARD. DRG ARRIVAL AT 1658 PST, HE REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR (SVFR) CLEARANCE TO THE PENDLETON ARPT. THE PLT WAS ADVISED TO HOLD & EXPECT CLEARANCE AT ABOUT 1725. AFTER INBOUND TRAFFIC HAD LANDED, A SVFR CLEARANCE WAS ISSUED. ABOUT 5 MIN LATER, THE PLT TRANSMITTED A MAYDAY CALL THAT HE HAD 'INADVERTENT IFR' & WAS NOT CAPABLE OF IFR FLT. AT 1732, THE LAST TRANSMISSION FROM THE PLT STATED HE WAS AT2200 FT MSL 'APPROXIMATELY 5.1 NM FROM . . .' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 5 MI WEST OF THE ARPT, WHILE DSCNDG IN A RT BANK. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FND; RPRTDLY, THE HELICOPTER HAD DEPARTED PORTLAND WITH THE OIL TEMP GAGE INOP, TRANSPONDER REMOVED & A LEAK IN THE PITOT STATIC SYS. AT PENDLETON, THE 1650 PST WX WAS IN PART: 700 FT OVERCAST, VIS 3 MI WITH FOG. THE PLT WAS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR INSTRUMENT FLT IN HELICOPTERS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/3/1986
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1732
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City PENDLETON
Event State OREGON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 97801
Event Date Year 1986
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 5
Degrees magnetic from airport 263
Airport Elevation 1494
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1650 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 265
Weather Observation Facility ID PDT
Elevation of weather observation facility 1494
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 0
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 100
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2193
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 3 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 32758
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7EC
NTSB Number SEA87MA034
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELL
Aircraft Model 206L-1
Aircraft Series Identifier 206L-1
Aircraft Serial Number 45511
Certified Max Gross Weight 4150
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 5
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Sep 15 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 65
Airframe Hours 1733
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name J. A. KENT
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 681007
Aircraft Owner City HOUSTON
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 77268
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address P. O. BOX 1331
Operator City PENDLETON
Operator State OR
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 97801
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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 Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City PORTLAND
Departure State OR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1500
Departure Time Zone PST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Approach
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 Yes
Medical Flight --