Bell 206 Crash in Washington State
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Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
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From: Downeast
Bell 206 Crash in Washington State
A Minnesota based Bell 206, contracted to dry cherry orchards, near Prosser, Washington, crashed yesterday after a wire strike. First reports confirm that both occupants were safe but shaken up. Initial report suggests the aircraft struck an unmarked powerline with the main rotor, then the tail rotor made contact with the wires...aircraft began an uncommanded right yaw...and ground impact occurred very quickly after a single 90 degree turn. Aircraft landed hard, and was thought to be a write off.
The passenger was last said to be in quite good spirits and headed for the bar to have a "Glad to be alive" party.
Note: This is a yearly occurrence during Cherry Orchard drying season....prolonged hover flight at low heights over uneven sloping ground...and the wires remain unmarked year after year.
The passenger was last said to be in quite good spirits and headed for the bar to have a "Glad to be alive" party.
Note: This is a yearly occurrence during Cherry Orchard drying season....prolonged hover flight at low heights over uneven sloping ground...and the wires remain unmarked year after year.
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
Bert,
Having spent the best part of yesterday doing the exact same thing (less hitting the wires....), I can understand just how easy it is to miss seeing them. There are lines going to outbuildings or water well pumps that are impossible to see even when you know where they are and you are very close to them. The size of the wires is part of the problem...and the fact they blend into the background....throw in a very long day....old eyes....and you have the makings of such events.
A sadder story was the Weyerhaeuser 206 fatal crash of last year...those guys hit a set of wires that also killed a Bell 47 and its occupants a few years back....they remain unmarked as well.
One cannot maintain too great an awareness of wire hazards when working in hilly or forested areas.
The later account on this particular wire strike now seems to indicate a pedal turn at a hover over the orchard may have put the tail rotor into the wires....there was supposed to be wires wrapped around the remnants of the tail rotor.....I have not seen the wreckage or talked directly to anyone involved....but word travels fast around the area.
I am just glad both occupants walked away with no injuries.
Having spent the best part of yesterday doing the exact same thing (less hitting the wires....), I can understand just how easy it is to miss seeing them. There are lines going to outbuildings or water well pumps that are impossible to see even when you know where they are and you are very close to them. The size of the wires is part of the problem...and the fact they blend into the background....throw in a very long day....old eyes....and you have the makings of such events.
A sadder story was the Weyerhaeuser 206 fatal crash of last year...those guys hit a set of wires that also killed a Bell 47 and its occupants a few years back....they remain unmarked as well.
One cannot maintain too great an awareness of wire hazards when working in hilly or forested areas.
The later account on this particular wire strike now seems to indicate a pedal turn at a hover over the orchard may have put the tail rotor into the wires....there was supposed to be wires wrapped around the remnants of the tail rotor.....I have not seen the wreckage or talked directly to anyone involved....but word travels fast around the area.
I am just glad both occupants walked away with no injuries.
