Hughes 369D N820Y

Summary

On 28 July 1982 at about 10:30 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N820Y, operated by Sunshine Copters, was involved in an accident near Near Bornite, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. One person on the ground also died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

28 July 1982 at 10:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Near Bornite, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

(Remote Field Site)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Hughes 369D

Registration

N820Y

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Sunshine Copters

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Near Bornite → Near Bornite

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC82DA062

1 person was seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

TWO WORKERS WERE TRANSPORTED TO A MINE DRILLING SITE WHERE THE HELICOPTER WAS LANDED ON A MAN-MADE HELI-PAD. THE HELI-PAD WAS AN AREA ABOUT 50 FT LONG AND 12 FT WIDE THAT HAD BEEN CUT INTO THE SIDE OF A ROCKY HILL. AFTER OFF-LOADING THE WORKERS, THE PILOT TOOK OFF, THEN RETURNED A SHORT TIME LATER WITH A 300 GAL STORAGE TANK ON A LONG LINE. AFTER THE TANK WAS LOWERED INTO POSITION, THE HELICOPTER WAS LANDED AT THE END OF THE PAD UNTIL THE LINE WAS RELEASED. AS THE PILOT TOOK OFF AGAIN, HE LIFTED OFF AND WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 3 TO 5 FT WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE ROCKY EMBANKMENT ON THE UPSLOPE SIDE OF THE HELI-PAD. REPORTEDLY. THE HELICOPTER THEN WENT INTO AN UNCONTROLLABLE SPIN AND TUMBLED ABOUT 300 FT DOWN THE HILL. ONE OF THE WORKERS WAS FATALLY INJURED BY A PIECE OF FLYING DEBRIS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.