Event SEA98LA146

Factual narrative

On July 24, 1998, approximately 0830 mountain daylight time, a Garlick UH-1H, N83NW, sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing while helicopter logging 45 miles north or Libby, Montana. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained a broken arm. The operation was operating in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that he was hooked up to a tree length root wad which had been knocked over and topped. He picked up the tree length and laid it over 180 degrees from its original position in order to break the roots from the ground. With the roots loose, he started a takeoff and the tree left the ground and was in the air for approximately 25-50 yards. The roots then impacted the ground, the Kevlar long line snapped about midpoint and the broken end rebounded up into the tail rotor. The pilot stated that he immediately realized he had a tail rotor failure. He informed the ground crew and found the only open area, which was approximately 100 yards from the point of failure. On the second 360 degree spin, he chopped the throttle when the nose was pointed at the intended crash site. He stated that he realized he was too low to make it, so he pulled pitch, which put him in a rapid spin. He struck some trees on his second or third spin and then fell. After impact, he evacuated from the helicopter. The pilot stated that while conducting external load logging operations, he was hooked up to a tree length root wad which had been knocked over and topped. He picked up the tree length and laid it over 180 degrees from its original position in order to break the roots from the ground. With the roots loose, he started a takeoff and the tree left the ground and was in the air for approximately 25-50 yards. The roots then impacted the ground; the Kevlar long-line snapped about midpoint and the broken end rebounded up into the tail rotor. The pilot stated that he immediately realized he had a tail rotor failure. He informed the ground crew and found the only open area, which was approximately 100 yards from the point of failure. On the second 360 degree spin, he reduced power when the nose was pointed at the intended crash site. He stated that he realized he was too low to make it, so he pulled pitch, which put him in a rapid spin. He struck some trees on his second or third spin and then fell. After impact, he evacuated from the helicopter. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12