Bell 212 accident near Longview, Washington, November 22, 2002
On November 22, 2002 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Bell 212 (helicopter), registered N82W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Longview, Washington. It was a positioning flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees while landing. A contributing factor was trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 2002 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Longview, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 212 · all 212s on the register
- Registration
- N82W · registry record · serial 31177
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the operator, the pilot was landing the helicopter, equipped with a long-line and external fertilizer bucket, at a heliport located approximately 2 miles from the departure point. The operator reported that the pilot made a normal external load approach (from the northeast) and landed the bucket from a hover. After landing the bucket, ground crew personnel directed the pilot to reposition it forward of its present position due to the buckets proximity to a tree stump. After repositioning the bucket to the requested location, the pilot maneuvered the helicopter laterally and started a descent for landing. During the descent, the helicopter's main rotor blades made contact with treetops.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,874 hours in all; 4,653 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 9,714 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 6, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,640 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 9, 2002; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 T-3B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 T-3B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Weyerhaeuser CO
The flight
- Departed from: Longview WA at 4:55 pm
- Destination: Longview WA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N82W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.