Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 accident near West Linn, Oregon, July 2, 2000
On July 2, 2000 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 (helicopter), registered N2784D, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Linn, Oregon. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper maintenance (excessive/improper sealant application) by an unknown person, and subsequent fracture of the spur adapter gearshaft resulting in a total loss of engine power. Factors included foreign material/substance in the engine oil, a blocked oil delivery tube oil jet, and oil starvation in the area of the spur adapter gearshaft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2000 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- West Linn, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 · all FH-1100s on the register
- Registration
- N2784D · no longer on the register · serial 129
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while northbound along the Willamette River at 700 feet above ground level (AGL), the helicopter yawed left and the ENGINE OUT light came on. The pilot stated he put the helicopter into autorotation, told his passengers to brace for a hard landing, gave a Mayday call and put the helicopter in what he thought was the safest place to land. The helicopter landed hard on the river bank, seriously injuring the pilot, but the passengers were not injured. During post-accident engine examination, a red sealer, which appeared as high temperature RTV, was noted to be applied extensively and heavily on several areas of the engine. Disassembly examination of the engine revealed red sealant adhered to the engine interior surfaces, as well as at various points in the engine oil system. Subsequently, the spur adapter gearshaft (SAG, a shaft that joins the gas producer turbine to the engine compressor) was found fractured, heat-distressed, and dry of lubrication. During an oil flow test of the oil delivery tube servicing the SAG, no oil flowed from the oil jet targeted for the SAG. Closer examination of the oil delivery tube revealed that this oil jet was clogged. Since complete maintenance records were not provided to investigators, a full service history for the engine could not be established.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all; 4,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,447 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2000; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C18B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Milwaukie OR at 11:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA00LA121.