Hughes MDL-369HS N107CW

Summary

On 12 September 1997 at about 23:15 local time, a Hughes MDL-369HS registered N107CW, operated by Mid South Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Brinkley, Arkansas, United States. 4 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

12 September 1997 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Brinkley, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.8805, -91.1802

Aircraft

Hughes MDL-369HS

Registration

N107CW

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Mid South Aviation, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Mariana

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

FTW97LA347

Nobody was injured.

The in flight collision of the tail rotor blade with an object that had a brass zipper on it, and the subsequent overload and failure of the tail rotor drive shaft. Factors were the object with the brass zipper on it and the unsuitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was transporting a television crew to several high school football games. He had removed the left rear door of the aircraft to facilitate aerial photography of the games. The helicopter was in cruise flight at approximately 500 feet agl when the pilot heard a loud bang and the aircraft made a right yaw. The pilot said that movement of the directional control pedals was ineffective. He made a run-on landing, but the helicopter impacted two levees separating the right skid from the aircraft. The aircraft rotated to the right and came to a stop upright. Postcrash examination revealed that the tail rotor drive shaft had separated near its mid point. One of the tail rotor blades had seven small indentations (similar to a zipper) on one eighth inch centers near the tip of the blade. He reported that the 'three outboard marks on the top of the blade also exhibited span-wise streaks with a brass like appearance, which may be transferred metal.' Tests by the aircraft's manufacturer revealed the material transferred to the tail rotor blade leading edge was brass. None of the passengers remembered losing any personal items during the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.