Hughes 369A (OH-6A) N501SU
29 September 2009 · Palmer, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 29 September 2009 at about 01:00 local time, a Hughes 369A (OH-6A) registered N501SU was involved in an accident near Palmer, 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 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Palmer, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Wolf Lake Airport (4AK6)
- Coordinates
- 61.6333, -149.2886
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369A (OH-6A)
- Registration
- N501SU
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Wasilla → Wasilla
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC09LA110
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
A partial loss of engine power after take off for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was departing on a local flight in a turbine-powered helicopter. During the initial climb, about 35 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. The pilot entered an autorotation and attempted to cushion the landing, but the helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades struck the tail boom, severing it from the helicopter. After the accident the engine continued to run, but at low power, requiring the pilot to close the engine throttle and shutdown the engine. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) postaccident examination revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the engine or helicopter. The engine was removed from the helicopter, shipped to an engine service center, and placed in an engine test cell. At the direction of an FAA airworthiness inspector, and assisted by an air safety investigator from the engine manufacturer, the engine produced power that was within the manufacturer's performance standards.
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 |
| 10 Mar 2009 | Hughes 369D | Lee, Massachusetts, United States | Air2 LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 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 | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 2009 | Beechcraft V35A | Northway, Alaska, United States | Patigler Gerhard | Fatal | 2 |
| 11 Jul 2009 | Noorduyn UC-64A | Akiachak, Alaska, United States | Renfro Michael W | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 2009 | Beechcraft G18S | Yakutat, Alaska, United States | Munich Hans W | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 2009 | Cessna A185F | Skwentna, Alaska, United States | Frank R. Bell | No injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 2009 | De Havilland DHC-2 | King Salmon, Alaska, United States | Katmai Air Leasing LLC | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 2009 | Harden RV-7 | Elim, Alaska, United States | Harden Bruce D R | Fatal | 2 |