McDonnell Douglas Heli 369 N530KF

Summary

On 6 October 2013 at about 17:17 local time, a McDonnell Douglas Heli 369 registered N530KF, operated by Rogers Aviation, was involved in an accident near Paducah, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 October 2013 at 17:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Paducah, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.9394, -100.0722

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas Heli 369

Registration

N530KF

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1994

Engines

1

Operator

Rogers Aviation

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Paducah → Paducah

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA008

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power transmission line tower while maneuvering to pick up a rope in gusting wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was maneuvering the helicopter into position near a 150-foot-tall power transmission line tower to prepare to attach a line to a rope and pull it through a traveler for power line construction. The wind had increased and was gusting, and the main rotor blades struck the tower. The helicopter spun around, and the tail rotor subsequently struck the tower. The tail rotor and tail rotor gearbox separated from the helicopter as it descended to the ground. A postcrash fire consumed the wreckage. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the gusting wind conditions negatively affected the pilot's ability to maintain sufficient clearance from the tower while maneuvering into position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.