Mechanical Problem Suspected In Crash

Fri., July 14, 2000

From Staff

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board suggests the crash Tuesday of a log-lifting helicopter in Pend Oreille County may have involved a mechanical problem.

Pilot Robert Baker decided that the load of logs he had just lifted with his Kaman K-1200 helicopter was too light, according to witness statements reported by the NTSB. Baker returned to the loading area and hovered so more logs could be added.

Before Baker could lift the load again, his main rotor speed suddenly decreased and the aircraft began to lose lift. Baker radioed that he was coming down, and the helicopter fell 200 feet to the ground, according to the NTSB report.

Baker remained in critical condition Thursday at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane with numerous broken bones, a punctured lung and cuts on his face and arms.

A Phoenix, Ore., resident, Baker was working for Superior Helicopter of Glendale, Ore., under contract with Idaho Forest Industries. The crash site in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest was about 15 miles northwest of Priest River, Idaho, about two miles inside Washington.

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