A pilot walked away from the crash of a firefighting helicopter Sunday afternoon in Oregon. In fact, he at first declined to be flown from the crash site by another helicopter, saying he preferred to walk out. Eventually he accepted the lift but declined medical treatment.
According to a story in the Mail Tribune, the pilot, identified as Cody Seeger, told a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy: “As he was flying back, it started rattling and losing pressure, and then it went down,” deputy Jeff McGrath said. The Mail Tribune has several photos of the pilot.
The helicopter ended up on its side in a forested area several miles west of Shady Cove, Oregon (map) and from the air it looked fairly intact, with the tail boom still attached. The cockpit area did not look to be badly damaged.
The pilot had been dropping water on a vegetation fire and was heading back to Grants Pass when the accident occurred.
File photo of Columbia Basin UH-1H Helicopters. Photo courtesy of Columbia Basin Helicopters
Mr. Seeger works for Columbia Basin Helicopters with headquarters in Baker City, Oregon. The company owns and operates three single-engine Bell UH-1H (Bell 205) helicopters which they use fire suppression.
Thanks go out to Kelly
Glad he is ok. ” Any landing you walk away from is a good landing”, an old aviation quote. no known source.
Know the folks at Columbia Basin. Good outfit.
glad he walked away…Was around a Bell 212
some, when landing it barfed a transmission.. one of the advantages of any Huey related product is the ability to auto-rotate.
that big rotor comes in handy…
Thank God the pilot is ok. I’ve heard the quote many a time. The second half is “an excellent landing is when you can use the aircraft again.”
While flying rice in the Sacramento Vally, Ca. a fellow crop duster crashed his Ag Cat. A ground person picked the pilot up and was taking him to his company’s business for another ag airplane. He “feel asleep” for the last time enroute. Internal injuries. Regardless if its a high or low impact accident, it is always a good idea to let a persons body “return” to its pre- accident statis monitored by medical staff.
Preferred to walk out? That’s not a short walk. Glad he decided to take the other guy up on his offer.