Saturday, May 9, 2015

LOGGING BELL UH-1 HELICOPTER CRASHES IN NORTHEAST WASHINGTON; PILOT ‘STABLE’, HELICOPTER TOTALED




MAY 7, 2015

ORIENT, WASH. (AP)

Officials say a helicopter being used for logging crashed Thursday near the town of Orient in northeast Washington. The female pilot has been rescued.

A Stevens County sheriff’s dispatcher said Thursday evening the pilot was reported in stable condition and has been taken to a hospital in Colville, Washington. The pilot was not immediately identified.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the helicopter was a UH-1 similar to the one shown above.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Orient is about 90 miles north of Spokane
Date:
07-MAY-2015
Time:
5:15 PM
Type:
Owner/operator:
R & R Conner Aviation LLC
Registration:
N46969
C/n / msn:
63-8548
Fatalities:
Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:
0
Airplane damage:
Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:
Near Pierre Lake, Orient, Washington - http://aviation-safety.net/database/country/flags_15/N.gif  United States of America
Phase:
Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:
Agricultural
Departure airport:

Destination airport:

Narrative:

A helicopter crashed on a wooded hillside during logging operations. The pilot survived the accident with minor injuries.



This helicopter had a prior accident record:

Date:
05-DEC-2007
Time:
1600 MST
Type:
Owner/operator:
R & R Conner Aviation LLC
Registration:
N46969
C/n / msn:
63-8548
Fatalities:
Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:
0
Airplane damage:
Substantial
Location:
33 miles SW of Ennis, MT - http://aviation-safety.net/database/country/flags_15/N.gif  United States of America
Phase:
Take off
Nature:
Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:

Destination airport:





Narrative:
On December 5, 2007, at 1600 mountain standard time, a Bell UH-1B, N46969, impacted terrain approximately 33 miles southwest of Ennis, Montana. R & R Conner Aviation LLC was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot was not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local positioning flight. 

According to the pilot, he had repositioned the helicopter from the landing zone to a nearby road, in order for a snowplow to access the landing zone. Once the snowplow was finished, the pilot began to reposition the helicopter to the landing zone. As the helicopter was lifting from the ground, it began to vibrate. 

The pilot climbed the helicopter to about 10 feet; however, it continued to vibrate. The pilot then decided to force land the helicopter. The helicopter landed hard and sustained damage to the doorframe.
Sources:
NTSB Identification: SEA08LA043