Bell UH-1B N70NW
24 September 1993 · Detroit Lake, Oregon, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 24 September 1993 at about 17:50 local time, a Bell UH-1B registered N70NW, operated by Northwest Helicopters, Inc, was involved in an accident near Detroit Lake, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Detroit Lake, Oregon, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.7394, -121.8810
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1B
- Registration
- N70NW
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Northwest Helicopters, Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA93LA213
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF A SECOND STAGE TURBINE WHEEL TOO LOW FOR A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION. FACTORS INCLUDE A TREE IN THE APPROACH PATH.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES WHILE ATTEMPTING AN AUTOROTATION AFTER AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE PILOT HAD PUNCHED OFF HIS EXTERNAL LOAD AFTER THE POWER LOSS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISH THE AUTOROTATION DUE TO INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF THE FATIGUE FRACTURE OF BLADE NUMBER 19 OF THE SECOND STAGE TURBINE ROTOR ASSEMBLY.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell UH-1B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Sep 1993 | Bell UH-1B | Pierce, Idaho, United States | Clearwater Management Co. Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Apr 1992 | Bell UH-1B | La Belle, Florida, United States | Colony Services, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 1994 | Bell UH-1B | Pilot Rock, Oregon, United States | Gary Knight | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 1994 | Bell UH-1B | Ozark, Alabama, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1994 | Bell UH-1B | Salama, Guatemala | Servicios Aereos Profesionales | Unknown | - |
| 28 Jul 1992 | Bell UH-1B | Hayfork, California, United States | Northwest Helicopters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jan 1993 | Swearingen SA-226T(B) | John Day, Oregon, United States | Prarie Wood Products | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jan 1993 | Boeing A75N1 | Bend, Oregon, United States | Walsh, DON R. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Feb 1993 | Champion 7ECA | Medford, Oregon, United States | McCall, Winston R. | No injuries | - |
| 4 Feb 1993 | Cessna 185E | North Bend, Oregon, United States | Cordell, Steven D. | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Feb 1993 | Cessna 140 | Salem, Oregon, United States | Cosentino, Joseph & Debora | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 1993 | Robinson R22 BETA | Bend, Oregon, United States | Puget Sound Helicopter | Minor injuries | - |