Garlick TH-1L accident near Umpqua, OR
On June 1, 1995, a Garlick TH-1L (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Umpqua, OR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 1, 1995
- Place
- Umpqua, OR
- Aircraft
- Garlick TH-1L · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 43.351°N, 123.540°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X03807
NTSB summary
On June 1, 1995, approximately 0905 Pacific daylight time (PDT), N27FL, a Garlick-converted TH-1L former military helicopter, received substantial damage in an inflight collision with a tree and subsequent collison with terrain approximately 6 miles northwest of Umpqua, OR. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the restricted-category helicopter, was fatally injured. The helicopter was owned by Garlick Helicopters, Inc. and operated by Intermountain, Inc. The flight was an external-lift logging operation conducted under 14 CFR 133, originating from Myrtle Creek, OR. Visual meteorolgical conditions existed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The operator stated in his report of the accident: We started logging [at] approximately 5:30-6:00 AM.... After about 2 hours we shut the helicopter down to fuel and make a maintenance inspection. The fueling and walk around lasted about 30 minutes. We lifted off about 9:00 AM and resumed logging operations. Before the pilot made one lift (a log) the accident occurred. ...The terrain was very steep with rock outcroppings and 50-100 [foot] bluffs, slopes average 50-100 [percent]. The logging supervisor, who was working under the helicopter at the time of the accident and who hooked the choker (lifting harness) to the helicopter's 150-foot-long lift line, stated the following to the responding deputy: ...he had just rehooked the choker to the long line and started to move out of the way when the long line started falling out of the sky. [He] said he thought the pilot had accidentally released the long line.
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE WITH A TREE, RESULTING IN A TAIL ROTOR BLADE STRIKE ON THE TREE WHICH DISABLED THE TAIL ROTOR. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE 150-FOOT-HIGH ROCK BLUFF.
More accidents in OR
- Cessna T207A, Aug 21, 1986
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- Piper PA 46-310P, Apr 7, 2017
- Cessna 172, Jun 23, 2012
Browse: Oregon
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
