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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2021 · about 4:19 pm local time
- 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N103WC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR22LA034.