Hughes 369HS N500SD
6 August 2005 · Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 6 August 2005 at about 06:45 local time, a Hughes 369HS registered N500SD, operated by Christopher Holland, was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. 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 06:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Nearest airport
- Albuquerque International Sunp (ABQ)
- Coordinates
- 35.1906, -104.6825
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS
- Registration
- N500SD
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Christopher Holland
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albequerque → Albequerque
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- DEN05TA119
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
the bullet(s), which severed the helicopter's left tail rotor pedal. Contributing factors were the severed anti-torque pedal and the unsuitable terrain for landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter was supporting police officers on the ground, who were attempting to locate a burglary suspect. The pilot and observer were wearing night vision goggles. The pilot established an orbit over the area approximately 400 feet agl. On about the fifth orbit, the crew heard a very loud noise originating from inside the helicopter. The pilot stated that he did not know what happened but knew there was an emergency. The helicopter shook and began to turn right. The pilot immediately lowered the collective and entered autorotation. The pilot flared and the helicopter impacted terrain in the backyard of a residence. Post accident examination revealed a .30-.06 rifle bullet (fired from a high-powered rifle) severed the left anti-torque pedal at the connecting point of the vertical control tube. The bullet then ricocheted into the pilot's leg. An engine inspection revealed no anomalies that would preclude the engine from developing power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 2005 | Hughes 369D | Hangelosa, Sweden | HT Helikoptertransport AB | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 2005 | Hughes 369D | North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 2005 | Hughes 369HS | Provo, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 2005 | Hughes 369FF | Quantico, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 2005 | Hughes 369E | Donnelly, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2005 | Hughes 369FF | Loveland, Colorado, United States | USDA Forest Service | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Aug 2005 | Stinson L-5G | Gallup, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 2005 | Forbes RUTAN LONG EZE | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2005 | Cessna 172S | Gallup, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Dec 2005 | Cessna 182A | Hobbs, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 2005 | Grob G103 | Moriarty, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 2005 | Beechcraft A36 | Datil, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |