Western International UH-1H accident near Darby, MT
On February 7, 2001, a Western International UH-1H (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Darby, MT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 7, 2001
- Place
- Darby, MT
- Aircraft
- Western International UH-1H · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 45.779°N, 114.239°W
- NTSB ID
- 20010226X00511
NTSB summary
On February 7, 2001, approximately 1400 mountain standard time, a Western International UH-1H restricted-category former surplus military helicopter, N205GL, registered to and operated by Grim Logging Company, Inc. of Salem, Oregon, experienced an inflight loss of control and subsequent collision with terrain while performing a 14 CFR 133 rotorcraft external-load logging operation near Darby, Montana. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the helicopter's sole occupant, the airline transport pilot-in-command, was fatally injured in the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which originated near Darby about 1345. A report from the operator stated that the pilot was on the last half of his first external load of the afternoon when he reported over the radio, " tail rotor failure, look out landing" (referring to the log landing crew.) The operator's report stated that the pilot released his logs from the lower hook, but retained his 150-foot line, and that he flew over the log landing to regain airspeed, with the helicopter's rotation angle never exceeding 90 degrees from its flight path. The operator's report stated that the helicopter's long line then snagged a tree on the far side of the landing, causing the aircraft to roll left and pitch nose down. The aircraft impacted the ground 250 feet from the snagged tree, nose low, with between 100 and 130 degrees of left roll (according to the operator's report), landing on the top left crew door post. The pilot was flying from the left pilot seat with h
Probable cause
Inflight loss of a tail rotor pitch change link-to-blade grip attach bolt, resulting partial loss of tail rotor control, and subsequent entanglement of the helicopter's external load cable with a tree during emergency descent. Factors included the pilot's retention of external load equipment, and the tree in which the external load cable became entangled.
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Browse: Montana
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
