Hughes 369D N90431
31 March 2003 · Tyonek, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 31 March 2003 at about 14:00 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N90431, operated by Prism Helicopters Inc., was involved in an accident near Tyonek, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was 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 14:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Tyonek, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 61.0167, -151.4489
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N90431
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Prism Helicopters Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Tyonek → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC03LA038
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout while lifting into a hover to ensure the helicopter was clear of all objects, which resulted in separation of an external mirror that then struck and damaged a main rotor blade. Factors in the accident were the presence of a seismic cable, and high vegetation around the helicopter's takeoff spot.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial certificated helicopter pilot was conducting external load operations in support of seismic operations, and landed a high skid-equipped helicopter in a confined area to pick up a passenger. The landing area had knee to waist level brush. The pilot did not exit the helicopter, but waited until the passenger climbed aboard. The pilot reported that the passenger unknowingly drug a seismic cable over the toe of the left skid as he climbed into the helicopter. As the pilot was lifting the helicopter into a hover, the cable slid aft into the helicopter's external load mirror. The cable severed the mirror from the helicopter, and the mirror was propelled upward, into the main rotor blades. The mirror then struck the vertical stabilizer. A postaccident examination of the rotor system revealed that one rotor blade sustained a dent on the underside of the blade. The director of operations stated that the damaged blade was beyond allowable repair limits, and had to be replaced.
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 | - |
| 8 Dec 2003 | Hughes 369D | Moclips, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Apr 2003 | Hughes 369D | Estes Park, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2003 | Rockwell 500-S | Chickaloon, Alaska, United States | State of Alaska Division of Forestry | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2003 | Williamson GLASTAR | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2003 | Cessna 206 | English Bay, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Aug 2003 | Cloud-Wag Aero SPORTSMEN | Noatak, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2003 | Cessna 401 | Gustavus, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Piper PA-18 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |