Hughes 369E N144CM
20 May 1999 · Intercession, Florida, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 20 May 1999 at about 17:00 local time, a Hughes 369E registered N144CM, operated by Air 2, was involved in an accident near Intercession, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously 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 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Intercession, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- 28.2603, -81.5001
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369E
- Registration
- N144CM
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Air 2
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA99FA158
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper fuel management that resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was hovering out of ground effect at about 75 feet above ground level adjacent to power lines to the left of the helicopter. The helicopter started to sink. He applied right antitorque pedal and the engine noise decreased. He moved the cyclic to the right, increased collective pitch to arrest the rate of descent, and the engine out audio activated. As soon as he cleared the power lines, he lowered the collective pitch to gain rotor rpm, and applied forward cyclic in an attempt to clear a tree to his front. He realized impact with the trees was imminent, and applied aft cyclic in an attempt to make a vertical descent. The helicopter collided with trees and terrain hard in a nose low left skid low attitude. Examination of the main fuel tank revealed the fuel tank was empty and not ruptured. The engine was removed, transported to the engine manufacturer, and placed in an engine test stand. The engine started, and obtained takeoff power, and all cruise power point specifications.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun 1999 | Hughes 369HS | Pacific Ocean | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1999 | Hughes 369D | Petersburg, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Dec 1999 | Hughes 369HS | Pacific Ocean | Hansen Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 1999 | Hughes 369D | Southbend, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 1999 | Hughes 369D | Baggs, Wyoming, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Nov 1999 | Hughes 369D | Cologne, Germany | Good Fabrication | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 1999 | Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 | Zephyrhills, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 1999 | Piper PA-28-161 | Lake Wales, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 1999 | Cessna 182P | Lantana, Florida, United States | Valerie E. Eikenberg | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Oct 1999 | Robinson R-22-MARINER | West Boca Raton, Florida, United States | Volar Helicopters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 1999 | Beechcraft D35 | Indiantown, Florida, United States | Christopher M. Conlisk | Unknown | - |
| 19 Dec 1999 | Piper PA-24-400 | Naples, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |