Hughes 369D N8343F
8 December 2003 · Moclips, Washington, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 8 December 2003 at about 19:35 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N8343F was involved in an accident near Moclips, Washington, United States. One person was on board and 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 19:35
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Moclips, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 47.3667, -124.0667
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N8343F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Moclips → Moclips
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA04LA025
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A sudden loss of engine power during hover for undetermined reasons.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter lost engine power while the pilot was conducting long-line operations in support of a timber sale. Following the loss of engine power, the pilot performed an autorotation and competed a forced landing near the base of operations. During the landing, the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom assembly. Post accident examination of the engine assembly revealed heavy black carbon like deposits throughout the turbine section. Additionally, extensive thermal type damage, to include metal splatter, was noted to the first and second stage turbine wheels and nozzles. A number of the turbine blade ends were melted away. Samples of the black carbon like deposits were taken from different locations throughout the turbine assembly and analyzed using Semi-quantitative X-ray Energy Dispersive Analysis. The post examination report concluded that black carbon like deposits were consistent with coked oil. There was no presence of jet fuel in the oil deposits. The origin of the oil could not be determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul 2003 | Hughes 369D | Ketchikan, Alaska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2003 | Hughes 369HS | Sevenoaks, Kent, United Kingdom | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 18 Dec 2003 | Hughes 369D | Wahiawa, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 2003 | Hughes 369D | Chung Cheong, Republic Of Korea | Heli Korea | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Apr 2003 | Hughes 369D | Estes Park, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Mar 2003 | Hughes 369D | Tyonek, Alaska, United States | Prism Helicopters Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Nov 2003 | Cessna 150C | Toledo, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2003 | Rockwell S-2R | Royal City, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2003 | Cessna 340 | Blakely Island, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Jan 2003 | Classic Fighter ME-262 REPRODUCTION | Everett, Washington, United States | Wolfgang Czaia | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2003 | Cessna 172P | Seattle, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 2003 | Hanks AVID FLYER | Toledo, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |