Hughes 369D N369RT
10 March 2009 · Lee, Massachusetts, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 10 March 2009 at about 19:07 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N369RT, operated by Air2 LLC, was involved in an accident near Lee, Massachusetts, 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 19:07
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lee, Massachusetts, United States
- Coordinates
- 42.2850, -73.2386
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N369RT
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Air2 LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lee → Lee
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA09LA194
People
3 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the overhead wire.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While hovering the helicopter during the installation of a transmission wire about 70 feet above the ground, the pilot inadvertently allowed the left horizontal stabilizer to move laterally until it was beneath the wire. When the pilot attempted to climb the helicopter away from the wire, the wire hooked the stabilizer. The helicopter subsequently pitched forward and the main rotor blades and rotor mast also became entangled with the wire. The main rotor blades and tail boom then broke away from the helicopter, which spun once or twice before hitting the ground. There were no mechanical anomalies noted with the helicopter and no appreciable wind.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jul 2009 | Hughes 369 | Franklin, Pennsylvania, United States | Utility Helicopters Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 Dec 2009 | Hughes 369 | Pitalito, Colombia | Sociedad Aerea de Ibague | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Apr 2009 | Hughes 369HS | Pacific Ocean, United States | HUSA Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 6 Nov 2009 | Hughes 369 | Baxley, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 2009 | Hughes 369D | Greenville, Virginia, United States | Aerial Solutions, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 May 2009 | Hughes 369A | Baltimore, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Apr 2009 | Cessna 402C | Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States | Hyannis Air Services Inc | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2009 | Piper J5A | Holland, Massachusetts, United States | Horan Mark E | No injuries | - |
| 30 Apr 2009 | Piper PA-30 | Great Barrington, Massachusetts, United States | Fred Kantor | No injuries | - |
| 1 Sep 2009 | Piper PA28-151 | Mansfield, Massachusetts, United States | Plane Nonsense Inc | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jun 2009 | Airbus A320 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | USAirways | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2009 | Piper PA-28-161 | Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States | Alpha One Flight School | Minor injuries | - |