Hughes 369HS N8390F

Summary

On 9 December 1986 at about 20:30 local time, a Hughes 369HS registered N8390F, operated by F. M.mc Gahee, was involved in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

9 December 1986 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Zephyrhills, Florida, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Hughes 369HS

Registration

N8390F

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

F. M.mc Gahee

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tampa → Jacksonville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA87FA046

2 people died.

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

A WITNESS STATED THAT SHE HEARD THE ENG ON THE HELICOPTER QUIT. SHE LOOKED OUT HER WINDOW AND WATCHED THE HELICOPTER HIT THE GROUND, BOUNCE, HIT AGAIN, FLIP OVER AND THE TAIL BROKE OFF. THE HELICOPTER THEN BURST INTO FLAMES AND EXPLODED.EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT THE PC AIR FILTER ASSEMBLY WAS BROKEN AT THE FORWARD INLET SIDE OF THE FILTER BODY WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF PC AIR PRESSURE TO THE FUEL CONTROL.THIS CAUSED THE ENG POWER TO REDUCE TO FLIGHT IDLE. THE PC FILTER HOUSING BROKE DUE TO AN IMPROPER MODIFICATION TO THE FILTER BODY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.