Oregon Helicopters UH-1L accident near Baring, Washington, June 14, 1989
On June 14, 1989 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Oregon Helicopters UH-1L, registered N157LC, was destroyed in an accident near Baring, Washington. It was an other work-use flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR 42 DEGREE GEAR BOX DUE TO PILOT INDUCED OVERSTRESS. NAVY DATA AND FAA TYPE CERTIFICATE LIMITATIONS WERE NOT ADHERED TO.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1989 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Baring, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Oregon Helicopters UH-1L
- Registration
- N157LC · registry record · serial 157856
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE LIFTING A LOG THE CREW HEARD UNUSUAL NOISES & FELT VIBRATIONS. THEY RELEASED THE LOG & FLEW TO A LANDING SITE TO CHECK THE AIRCRAFT. WHILE AT A HIGH HOVER THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN SPINNING AND THE PILOT EXECUTED A HOVERING AUTOROTATION. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD AND ROLLED DOWN A HILL. INVESTIGATION REVEALED A FAILED TAIL ROTOR 42 DEG GEARBOX. THE BOARD'S METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION SHOWED THAT THE GEARBOX'S INPUT SPIRAL BEVEL GEAR HAD FAILED IN FATIGUE. THE ENG N2 TORQUE WAS RED-LINED AT 55 LBS. PILOT STATED THAT A DASH-5 TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED RATED FOR 60 LBS, BUT OBSERVED MARKED 55 LB LIMIT. NAVY OPERATORS MANUAL AND FAA TYPE CERTIFICATE BOTH LIST N2 TORQUE LIMIT AS 50 LBS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,299 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 11, 1989; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,500 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T53-L13B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Baring WA at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from PAE, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
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 SEA89FA111.