Hughes 369A N817SC
31 October 2002 · Marietta, Pennsylvania, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 31 October 2002 at about 22:00 local time, a Hughes 369A registered N817SC was involved in an accident near Marietta, Pennsylvania, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were 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 22:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Marietta, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nearest airport
- None
- Coordinates
- 40.1217, -76.2958
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369A
- Registration
- N817SC
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lancaster → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- IAD03LA011
People
3 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The flight instructor 's misjudgment of the helicopter's height above the river.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the flight instructor, he was at the controls of the helicopter, demonstrating confined area maneuvers above a river. He misjudged the helicopter's height, a skid dipped into the water, and the entire helicopter was then "pulled nose down" into the river. No mechanical deficiencies were noted.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jan 2002 | Hughes 369E | Grand Coulee, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 May 2002 | Hughes 369E | Tiers, Tasmania, Australia | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 2002 | Hughes 369D | Jeffersontown, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 May 2002 | Hughes 369C | Agana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Apr 2002 | Hughes 369D | Richland, Washington, United States | U.S. Fish and Wildlife | No injuries | - |
| 24 Dec 2002 | Hughes 369D | Boise, Idaho, United States | Pathfinder Helicopters Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 2002 | Bellanca 7KCAB | Erwinna, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 May 2002 | Burkhart Grob G103 | Fairfield, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 2002 | Cessna 172N | Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States | Margaret Balliet | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 2002 | Beechcraft C24R | Grindstone, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 22 Jul 2002 | Cessna 210L | Zelienople, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2002 | Cessna 152 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |