Hughes 369E N427WC

Summary

On 26 July 2012 at about 21:45 local time, a Hughes 369E registered N427WC, operated by Wilson Construction Co, was involved in an accident near The Dalles, Oregon, 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.

Date

26 July 2012 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

The Dalles, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

The Dalles Municipal Airport (KDLS)

Coordinates

45.5883, -121.0350

Aircraft

Hughes 369E

Registration

N427WC

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Wilson Construction Co

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

The Dalles → The Dalles

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA328

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from the fuel tank supply pickup becoming unported while the helicopter was pulling power lines.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The operator reported that the helicopter was in an 80-ft hover and had begun lifting and dragging the ends of winch lines used to pull power cables across sloping terrain when the engine lost power. The pilot jettisoned the external load as the helicopter began to descend rapidly. The helicopter's tail boom contacted the ground first and was then cut by the main rotor system, the skids separated from the fuselage, and the helicopter then came to rest on its right side. Several witnesses reported that the engine was still running on the ground after the impact. Postaccident examination and operational testing of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. During previous investigations of similar accidents, it was determined that the fuel tank supply pickup can become unported with a fuel load of less than 151 lbs when pitch-and-roll attitudes approach 20 degrees; the operator reported that about 117 lbs of fuel was recovered from the helicopter. It is likely that the fuel tank supply pickup unported while the helicopter was maneuvering, which led to fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.