Bell 204B CFAHY

Summary

On 10 September 1988 at about 02:10 local time, a Bell 204B registered CFAHY, operated by Vancouver Island Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Entiat, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

10 September 1988 at 02:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Entiat, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.7900, -120.4398

Aircraft

Bell 204B

Registration

CFAHY

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Vancouver Island Helicopters

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Entiat → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA88FA176

2 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 ACFT WAS ON CONTRACT TO STATE OF WA AND WORKING TO SUPPRESS A FOREST FIRE USING A WATER BUCKET SUSPENDED ON A LONG LINE. THE ACFT HAD REFUELED AT A TEMPORARY HELIPORT AT ENTIAT, WA AND WAS ENROUTE TO THE WORK AREA 15 NM SW OF ENTIAT BUT DID NOT ARRIVE AT THE AREA. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON THE EASTERN SLOPE OF STEEP MOUNTAINS. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF INFLT MAIN ROTOR MAST FRACTURE AND ACFT BREAK-UP. WX DATA INDICATED STRONG GUSTY NW WINDS AND MOUNTAIN WAVE CONDITIONS IN THE AREA. EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE COPILOT WAS AT THE CONTROLS. THIS WAS THE COPILOTS FIRST FLT IN THE BH-204 AND HIS FIRST FLT FOR THIS COMPANY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.