Hughes 369HS N717ST

Summary

On 14 February 2000 at about 17:00 local time, a Hughes 369HS registered N717ST was involved in an accident near Pacific Ocean. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 February 2000 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pacific Ocean

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Hughes 369HS

Registration

N717ST

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA103

Nobody was injured.

An unknown mechanical malfunction that resulted in a precautionary landing at sea and the subsequent sinking of the helicopter by an ocean swell.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On the third flight of the day, at 100 feet after takeoff from the fishing vessel, the pilot reported that he felt a grinding sensation from the cyclic control followed by a loud bang. After making the precautionary landing, the helicopter was struck by an ocean swell, rolled over, and subsequently sank. The pilot and observer were rescued uninjured from the water by the fishing vessel. It was noted that the foreign pilot did not possess a U.S. flight certificate.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.