Hughes 269-C N7472F

Summary

On 8 September 2001 at about 18:45 local time, a Hughes 269-C registered N7472F was involved in an accident near Lubbock, Texas, United States. One person was 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

8 September 2001 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Lubbock, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.5250, -101.7833

Aircraft

Hughes 269-C

Registration

N7472F

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lubbock → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW01LA205

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power while maneuvering for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was a malfunction of the spray system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Several witnesses near the accident site observed smoke and fire trailing from the helicopter while on an aerial application flight. The pilot also felt heat and saw smoke in the cockpit, which was followed by a loss of engine power. A witness, who was driving in a truck next to the cotton field, reported that he observed the helicopter flying about 20-25 feet in the air when it "suddenly fell at a slight angle, fell from the sky, and hit the ground, sending white smoke and dust." After the accident, the pilot stated that he thought that the spray system had malfunctioned which resulted in chemicals being pumped into the engine. A detailed examination of the helicopter and the engine did not reveal a reason for the loss of engine power. There was no evidence found on the airframe of an in-flight fire, however, there was some thermal damage found on the spray system. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.