None Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mt. St. Helens, Washington 98626
Monday, July 2, 1984 14:45 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE 5500 FT LEVEL ON MT. ST. HELENS. DENSITY ALT AT THE TIME WAS 7500 FT. AT APRX 40-50 FT AGLENGINE AND ROTOR RPM BEGAN TO DECAY RAPIDLY. THE ACFT LANDED HARD ON A ROCK LEDGE WITH ONE SKID PARTIALLY OFF THE LEDGE.AS ROTOR RPM CONTINUED TO DECAY THE ROTOR DISC COULD NO LONGER SUPPORT THE HELICOPTER AND IT ROLLED 100 FT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. MAINTENANCE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE SEVERLY WORN. WHEN TESTED, FOUR OUT OF EIGHT PLUGS FIRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE LEFT MAGNETO ALSO HAD BURNED POINTS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/2/1984
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1445
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City MT. ST. HELENS
Event State WASHINGTON
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 98626
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport NONE
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 1453 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 310
Weather Observation Facility ID TDO
Elevation of weather observation facility 371
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 55
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 300
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 7500
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1631
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 25452
Date of most recent change to record Dec 14 2000 2:50PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N58397
NTSB Number SEA84LA153
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 HUGHES
Aircraft Model 269C
Aircraft Series Identifier 269C
Aircraft Serial Number 1090833
Certified Max Gross Weight 2050
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 --
Airframe hours since last inspection 76
Airframe Hours 1472
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TRANSWESTERN HELICOPTERS
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX R
Aircraft Owner City SCAPPOOSE
Aircraft Owner State OR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture
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) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 1S4
Departure City SCAPPOOSE
Departure State OR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1410
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City MT ST HELENS
Destination State WA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --