Aerospatiale SA315B N3128G

Summary

On 13 July 1988 at about 19:30 local time, a Aerospatiale SA315B registered N3128G, operated by Gradney Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Oakridge, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

13 July 1988 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Oakridge, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

43.7398, -122.4109

Aircraft

Aerospatiale SA315B

Registration

N3128G

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Gradney Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lowell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA88LA129

1 person was seriously injured.

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

WHILE SLINGING A LOG THE PILOT ALLOWED THE LOG/SLING LINE TO CONTACT A TREE. THE MOMENTUM OF THE LOG AND HELICOPTER BOWED THE TREE OVER WHEN THE LINE CONTACTED IT. THE PILOT CHOSE TO RELEASE THE LOG FROM THE SLING LINE RATHER THAN DISENGAGE THE ENTIRE LINE AND LOG FROM THE HELICOPTER. ONCE THE LOG SEPARATED, THE LINE CAUGHT IN THE TREE WHICH RETURNED TO AN UPRIGHT ATTITUDE AND PULLED THE LINE TIGHT. THE FORCE APPLIED TO THE HELICOPTER AS THE LINE TIGHTENED, IN TURN ROTATED THE HELICOPTER ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS TO A POINT WHEREBY THE PILOT LOST CONTROL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED INTO THE TREES AND COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.