Bell OH-58A accident near Molalla, Oregon, November 15, 2021
On November 15, 2021 at about 4:19 pm local time, a 1969 Bell OH-58A (helicopter), registered N103WC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Molalla, 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
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2021 · about 4:19 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Molalla, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell OH-58A, built 1969 · all OH-58As on the register
- Registration
- N103WC · registry record · serial 69-16083
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot was lifting off with an external load of Christmas trees. As the helicopter climbed above 60 ft above the ground (agl), the pilot reported that he simultaneously heard a change in sound from the engine and felt the helicopter yaw, but could not remember which direction the helicopter yawed. After he released the external load, the helicopter lost altitude and he heard the main rotor speed decay. He initiated an autorotation and raised the collective while maintaining heading in the landing flare. The skids contacted the water-soaked soil and the helicopter rocked nose-low, bounced, and came to rest upright. Subsequently, the main rotor blade struck the tailboom and separated the tail rotor and tail rotor gearbox assembly. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The engine functioned normally during two separate tests and the intermittent operation of the fuel boost pump annunciator light could not be replicated. According to the helicopter manufacturer, under the given conditions, at a gross weight of 2,350 pounds and a height of 50 feet, a hover out of ground effect can be accomplished. The reason for the loss of engine power was undetermined.
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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during takeoff defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,605.6 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 32.6 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,517.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 17, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,970.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 14, 2021; 0.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce C20B (turboshaft); 6,302 hours total
- Operator: Edgefield Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Sandy OR at 2:50 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from KUAO, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KUAO 151553Z 19011G18KT 10SM CLR 14/10 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP108 T01390100
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on January 4, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Wreckage Exam Field Notes | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Exam and Component Testing | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Breakaway Valve Flow Test | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Fuel Breakaway Valve Computed Tomography Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 22 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Perfromance Chart | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Party Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Wreckage Release Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N103WC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N103WC on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell OH-58 329 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,079 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls Royce C20B · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,862 since 1982 · 277 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,012 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N103WC 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR22LA034.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.