Bell 206L-1 N7EC

Summary

On 4 December 1986 at about 01:32 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N7EC was involved in an accident near Pendleton, Oregon, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

4 December 1986 at 01:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Pendleton, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.7303, -118.7902

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N7EC

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portland → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA87MA034

3 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.