Hughes 369D N555JC

Summary

On 6 April 2015 at about 18:00 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N555JC, operated by Haverfield International Inc, was involved in an accident near Cherokee, Alabama, 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 April 2015 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cherokee, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

34.8428, -87.9344

Aircraft

Hughes 369D

Registration

N555JC

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1977

Operator

Haverfield International Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Corinth → Scottsboro

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15FA178

1 person died.

The pilot's spatial disorientation during a low-level river crossing in rainy, gray, reduced visibility meteorological conditions, which resulted in the helicopter's subsequent descent and impact with the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to attempt the low-level crossing under those meteorological conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot of the helicopter positioning flight delayed the takeoff for inclement weather to pass. However, about 1/2 hour after taking off, the helicopter encountered rain, fog, and low-visibility, gray-lighting conditions. The helicopter approached a 1-mile wide river, landed briefly onshore, then took off again and began a low-altitude crossing while paralleling a bridge. The helicopter was observed at an estimated 25 feet above the river before it began descending at a 10- to 15-degree angle into the water about mid-way through the crossing. It impacted the water nose-low, left side down, at a sufficient speed for the witness to see the tail "kick over" the main rotor blades and snap off. There were no onboard recording devices to confirm what occurred. No preexisting anomalies were found with the helicopter, and no medical issues were identified that would have affected the pilot's performance. The reason that the pilot landed before crossing the river could not be determined. Although the pilot's attention could have been momentarily diverted, it was more likely that the rainy, gray, reduced-visibility conditions resulted in low altitude spatial disorientation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.