Hughes 369HS N9208F

Summary

On 15 November 1989 at about 19:45 local time, a Hughes 369HS registered N9208F, operated by King Services Inc., was involved in an accident near North Adams, Massachusetts, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 November 1989 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

North Adams, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Harriman-and-West (2B6)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Hughes 369HS

Registration

N9208F

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

King Services Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Norwood → Troy

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC90FA029

2 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) TO ASSURE PROPER ROTOR RPM AND PROPER OPERATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS DURING AN APPROACH IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PIC'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLTS WERE MAKING APCHS TO THE ARPT, WHEN THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT THE TAIL BOOM & THE TAIL ROTOR SEPD. THE HELICOPTER THEN WENT OUT OF CONTROL & IMPACTED ON SLOPING TERRAIN NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 11. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION. THE PLT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) HAD A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE SINGLE/MULTI-ENG LAND & INSTRUMENT RATINGS, BUT HE HELD ONLY A PRIVATE CERTIFICATE FOR ROTORCRAFT/HELICOPTERS. ON THE ACDNT FLT, HE OCCUPIED THE RGT PLT SEAT, WHILE THE OTHER PLT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT. THIS HELICOPTER IS NORMALLY FLOWN FROM THE LEFT SEAT. THE LEFT SEAT OCCUPANT HAD AN ATP CERTIFICATE FOR MULTI-ENG LAND AIRPLANES & WAS GETTING READY FOR A CHECK FLT TO OBTAIN A PRIVATE ROTORCRAFT RATING. MANUFACTURING PSNL AT MCDONNELL DOUGLAS RPRTD THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WOULD NOT STRIKE THE TAIL BOOM, IF THE ROTOR RPM WAS ABOVE 90%. APRX 28 WEST AT ALBANY, THE 1550 EST WIND WAS FROM 160 DEG AT 16 GUSTING 23 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.