Fatal helicopter crash South of Dayton

DAYTON - A helicopter spraying weeds along the South Touchet River south of Dayton flew into transmission lines and crashed March 19. The unidentified pilot of the Bell 206B helicopter, who was the only occupant, was killed.

The crash occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. about six miles south of Dayton across the river from the South Touchet Road. Numerous emergency vehicles from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and Columbia County Fire District 3 were at the scene most of the afternoon.

According to a press release from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, the helicopter was owned by North Wind Aviation of Chelan, Wash. The pilot was from Yakima.

A sheriff's deputy at the scene said that crews had to climb through challenging terrain to get to the crash site on a steep hillside several hundred feet above the river.

The crash damaged the Bonneville Power Administration transmission line, which feeds Columbia REA. More than 800 Columbia REA electric customers in Columbia County were without power for nearly two hours after the crash.

The transmission lines cross the river at the point where the crash occurred. One of the three wires was severed and dangled toward the ground.

The North Winds helicopter was spraying below Robinette Mountain on the east side of the South Touchet River. A local landowner had reportedly hired the company to spray star thistle and other weeds on the steep hillside.

According to the Sheriff's press release, the National Transportation Safety Board took over the investigation on Thursday, March 20. They began working with other agencies to recover wreckage and repair the transmission lines over the following days.