Bell UH-1H accident near Pendleton, Oregon, August 19, 1996
On August 19, 1996 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Bell UH-1H (helicopter), registered N4734F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pendleton, Oregon. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 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
undetermined malfunction/failure of a flight control or hydraulic system. Rough terrain in the emergency landing area was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1996 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Pendleton, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1H · all UH-1Hs on the register
- Registration
- N4734F · no longer on the register · serial 65-09569
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and helicopter were under contract for firefighting. The helicopter was equipped with a Bambi waterbucket on a cargo hook. The pilot's mission was to fill the water bucket from a pond, then drop the water on a designated part of a nearby fireline. He was en route to the fire drop location, when he experienced a loss of hydraulic control. He noted that the master caution and one caution segment light illuminated. The pilot made a turn to initiate an autorotation to a clear-cut area, but due to low rotor rpm, the helicopter landed hard with substantial downward velocity and some forward speed. The landing skids collapsed and the helicopter rolled to the right. The main rotor blades contacted the ground and the engine remained running at idle power until the fuel lines were exhausted of fuel. After the accident, the flight controls, hydraulic system, electrical system, fuel system, tailrotor system, and transmission were checked. Also, the hydraulic servo actuators, the hydraulic pump, fuel control, and power turbine governor were checked and bench tested. During this postcrash examination, no preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction was found.
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: multi-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,794 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1996; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T53-L-13BA (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.