Hughes 369HS N3961H

Summary

On 25 March 1995 at about 20:00 local time, a Hughes 369HS registered N3961H was involved in an accident near Burnet, Texas, United States. 3 people were 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.

Date

25 March 1995 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Burnet, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.7595, -98.2195

Aircraft

Hughes 369HS

Registration

N3961H

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Llano → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95LA146

Nobody was injured.

FAILURE BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM DURING THE AUTOROTATION AND HIS DELAYED FLARE. A FACTOR WAS: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WHILE USING AVIATION GASOLINE VICE JET FUEL.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE CONDUCTING AN AIR TOUR FLIGHT AT AN AIR SHOW, THE PILOT FUELED THE TURBINE POWERED HELICOPTER WHICH NORMALLY USES JET 'A' FUEL. THE FACILITY WHERE HE WAS HAD ONLY 100LL AVIATION GASOLINE SO HE ADDED 15 GALLONS TO THE LESS THAN 10 GALLONS OF JET FUEL ON BOARD. TWENTY TWO MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, TO A FACILITY WHERE JET FUEL WAS AVAILABLE, THE HELICOPTER HAD A PARTIAL POWER LOSS AND THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION WHICH TERMINATED IN A HARD LANDING. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATING MANUAL, JET FUEL AND AVIATION GASOLINE MAY BE MIXED; HOWEVER, WHEN THIS IS DONE THE FUEL BOOST PUMP MUST BE USED WHILE OPERATING. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE THE FUEL BOOST PUMP ON.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.