McDonnell Douglas 369D N1096X
11 September 1992 · Eagle, Alaska, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 11 September 1992 at about 17:10 local time, a McDonnell Douglas 369D registered N1096X, operated by Tundra Copters Inc., was involved in an accident near Eagle, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Eagle, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 64.4306, -141.2205
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas 369D
- Registration
- N1096X
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Tundra Copters Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC92FA164
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
AN INFLIGHT FATIGUE FAILURE AND SEPARATION OF A MAIN ROTOR BLADE, INADEQUATE OPERATOR MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION, AND MATERIAL DEFECT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT RADIOED HE WAS RETURNING DUE TO POOR VISUAL FLIGHT CONDITIONS, AND WAS LAST SEEN CIRCLING THE EAGLE RUNWAY. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND APRX 7 HRS LATER 150 YDS NORTH OF THE RUNWAY. THE BLUE M/R BLADE WAS FOUND SEPARATED; THE TRAILING ATTACHMENT LUGS OF BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER BLADE ROOT FITTINGS WERE FRACTURED THROUGH THE HOLES, AND THE LEAD LAG DAMPENER LUG WAS ALSO FRACTURED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED FATIGUE PROGRESSION ON ALL FOUR ROOT FRACTURES. OPERATOR MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF AD91-17-04 REQUIREMENT TO REMOVE & INSPECT THE M/R BLADES AT 100-HR INTERVALS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Nov 1992 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Juniper Flats, California, United States | Riverside County Sheriff's DEP | Unknown | - |
| 12 Feb 1992 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Clinton, Maryland, United States | Govt. of the Dist. of Columbia | Unknown | - |
| 13 Jun 1992 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Yukon, Oklahoma, United States | Oklahoma City Police Dept | No injuries | - |
| 14 Feb 1992 | McDonnell Douglas 369D | Mesa, Arizona, United States | Maricopa County Sheriffs | Unknown | - |
| 12 May 1992 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | San Diego, California, United States | Department of Justice | Unknown | - |
| 19 Jun 1993 | McDonnell Douglas 369D | Half Moon Bay, California, United States | Skydance Operations, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb 1992 | Piper PA-18A-150 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | John Clark | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Feb 1992 | Richard C Ballow KITFOX 1 | Valdez, Alaska, United States | Jones, William Marshall | No injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 1992 | Aeronca 7AC | Sitka, Alaska, United States | Diment, Archie G. | No injuries | - |
| 9 Oct 1992 | Champion 7EC | Chugiak, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 Feb 1992 | Cessna 180 | Shishmaref, Alaska, United States | Sheldon, Robert J. | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Feb 1992 | Cessna 185F | Pelican, Alaska, United States | Bellair, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |