Event WPR24LA319

Factual narrative

On September 26, 2024, at about 1540 Pacific daylight time, a Bell 206L, N9984K, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fern Prairie, Washington. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 repositioning flight. According to the pilot, he had departed a remote landing zone and was enroute to the Fly JLA Airport (OR72), Boring, Oregon. While in cruise flight about 1,000 ft above ground level, the helicopter experienced “a severe vertical hop” and began to shake violently. The pilot initiated an emergency descent, during which time the shaking subsided. The pilot performed a normal landing in an open field. After egressing, the pilot observed substantial damage to the helicopter’s tail boom. The helicopter was retained for further examination. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12