Hughes 369D N501RR
15 September 1993 · Georgetown, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 15 September 1993 at about 19:30 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N501RR, operated by Erickson Air Crane, Inc., was involved in an accident near Georgetown, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Georgetown, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.9304, -120.7700
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N501RR
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Erickson Air Crane, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX93LA353
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL AFTER IMPROPERLY PLANNING HIS APPROACH TO A HOVER BY AVOIDING CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO SETTLING WITH POWER. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO JETTISON THE EXTERNAL LOAD BEFORE COLLIDING WITH THE TREES.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A HELICOPTER FLYING AN EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATION IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED INTO TREES WHILE HOVERING OUT OF GROUND EFFECT. THE PILOT REPORTED A STABIIZED 500 FOOT AGL HOVER WHEN THE HELICOPTER ENTERED A 'VIOLENT VERTICAL DESCENT.' THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO JETTISON THE EXTERNAL LOAD BEFORE COLLIDING WITH TREES. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1993 | Hughes 369D | Waimea, Kauai, Hawaii, United States | Smokey Mountain Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 1993 | Hughes 369D | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Nov 1993 | Hughes 369HS | Antonia, Missouri, United States | Drug Enforcement Admin. | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Jul 1993 | Hughes 369D | Cordova, Alaska, United States | Soloy Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1993 | Hughes 369HS | Talladega, Alabama, United States | Allison, David C. | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Aug 1993 | Hughes 369D | Mount Iliamna, Alaska, United States | Soloy Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 1993 | Cessna 310H | Lancaster, California, United States | Yehiem Konski | Fatal | 6 |
| 14 Nov 1993 | Cessna 182 | Colusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1993 | Cessna 172P | Sun City, California, United States | Hiser Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Jul 1993 | Robinson R44 | El Monte, California, United States | Benjamin F. Venti, SR. | Fatal | 3 |
| 17 Nov 1993 | Piper PA-38-112 | Fresno, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1993 | Beechcraft A35 | Tulare, California, United States | Rent and Lease Programs | Fatal | 2 |