Report: Pilot at fault in helicopter crash

The pilot who crashed a private helicopter into Beaver Lake last summer while attempting to load a water bucket wasn’t formally trained in over-water loads, a report from the National Transportation Safety Board reveals.

The report issued April 26 concludes Jordan White failed to maintain a level altitude while hovering over the lake at night as he was attempting to scoop a bucket of water to dump on a small wildfire burning nearby. The main rotor of the Two Bear Air-owned helicopter contacted the surface of the water, which led to the Aug. 4, 2015 crash.

White is the former undersheriff of Flathead County and current executive director of Two Bear Air Rescue, a private search and rescue helicopter outfit based in Whitefish that is funded by part-time Whitefish resident Michael Goguen.

According to the NTSB report, White was using the helicopter’s landing light and newly installed searchlight, giving him a clear view of the lake surface. But during his third bucket load attempt, the report states, White was scanning the instrument panel when he noticed the rotor disk dipping toward the water.

The main rotor blades struck the water, causing the helicopter to hit the lake.

The cockpit filled with water as the helicopter rolled upside-down and began to sink. White stated in the report that while he was attempting to swim from the cockpit, he felt his helmet tug backward and soon realized a communications cord was still attached to the helicopter. White was able to remove his helmet and swim to shore safely, only suffering minor injuries.

The model MD 369E helicopter was recovered the next day with substantial damage to the main rotor, the fuselage and the tail boom.

White reported to NTSB that he had formal external load training, but no formal over-water external load training. He also reported that he had never had formal underwater egress training, and that he was not wearing a flotation device or carrying a self-contained breathing device.

The helicopter did not have a flotation system installed at the time of the accident.

The NTSB report notes that according to the U.S. Army field manual “Fundamentals of Flight,” water is the most difficult surface to hover above because it is nearly absent of visual reference points.

The Beaver Lake incident was the second helicopter crash connected to the Two Bear fleet in the past few years.

In April of 2013, a helicopter registered to Two Bear Management crashed on the slopes of Mount Aeneas in the Swan Mountains near Bigfork. The Bell 407 helicopter carrying two Flathead County employees was piloted by Jason Johnson. No one was injured in that crash.

The NTSB determined that the Aeneas crash was likely due to the pilot’s failure to maintain control while flying over mountainous terrain with strong up and downdrafts, and possible mountain wave activity, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.