Hughes 269B N141LL

Summary

On 19 September 2015 at about 15:15 local time, a Hughes 269B registered N141LL, operated by Eagel Aviation Academy, was involved in an accident near Hartford, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 September 2015 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Hartford, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

31.1294, -85.6539

Aircraft

Hughes 269B

Registration

N141LL

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Eagel Aviation Academy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Defuniak Springs → Hartford

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15CA364

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, and his subsequent failure to attain adequate altitude during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a wire fence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter pilot was departing from a field at a family farm and attempted to clear an adjacent driveway when the left skid toe caught on the top of a wire fence. The pilot applied aft cyclic in an attempt to climb; however, the helicopter rolled to the left and impacted the ground. The main rotor, tail rotor, and airframe sustained substantial damage. Subsequent examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions which would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 3,900 hours of total flight experience in rotorcraft, which included 160 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter. He further reported that the accident could have been prevented had he conducted a walk around of the takeoff area to better evaluate prospective hazards.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.