Mcdonnell Douglas 369E accident near Lyons, Oregon, November 22, 2006
On November 22, 2006 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 369E (helicopter), registered N1611W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lyons, Oregon. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 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
A severing of the helicopter's cyclic and collective rods by one of the load lifting slings following the failure of the other sling. A contributing factor was the hard landing due to the fact that an autorotation was not possible.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 22, 2006 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lyons, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 369E
- Registration
- N1611W · no longer on the register · serial 0319E
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he was moving Christmas trees during harvesting operations. He said that one of the two slings holding the load failed, and as the trees fell to the ground, the second sling "popped" into his rotor head. The pilot said that both the cyclic and collective were severed, and he lost all flight control. An autorotation was not possible and the helicopter fell to the ground and came to rest on its right side.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,659 hours in all; 1,125 in this make and model; 207 in the last 90 days; 108 in the last 30 days; 3,538 as pilot in command; 1,525 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,997 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 3,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lyons OR at 10:55 pm
- Destination: Lyons OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from SLE, 19 miles away
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.
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.