MD Helicopters 369D N362JS
20 May 2018 · Luling, Louisiana, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 20 May 2018 at about 15:49 local time, a MD Helicopters 369D registered N362JS, operated by AIR2, LLC, was involved in an accident near Luling, Louisiana, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:49
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Luling, Louisiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 29.8792, -90.4036
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopters 369D
- Registration
- N362JS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1980
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- AIR2, LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- External Load
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Reserve → Luling
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN18FA182
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the powerline structure while hovering, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with the structure and an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot and two crewmembers of the helicopter were performing external load operations to repair high-tension power line structures. The pilot reported that, during the fourth repair of the flight, he was hovering the helicopter next to the power line structure when he noticed a "rumbling" and the helicopter descending. The helicopter impacted the ground beneath the structure, seriously injuring one of the two crewmembers, while the second crewmember sustained fatal injuries. Examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The power line structure displayed paint transfer consistent in color with that of the helicopter. There was also a puncture hole about 6 inches in length under the upper horizontal plate of the structure, consistent with the dimensions of a main rotor blade. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain clearance from the power line structure while hovering, resulting in contact with the structure.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other MD Helicopters 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 2018 | MD Helicopters 369HM | Perrysburg, Ohio, United States | VISTA One INC | Fatal | 2 |
| 17 Mar 2019 | MD Helicopters 369 | Newberg, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 2019 | MD Helicopters 369 | Houston, Texas, United States | Law Enforcement | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 2017 | MD Helicopters 369 | Mexicali, Mexico | - | Fatal | 5 |
| 26 Sep 2017 | MD Helicopters 369 | Norrbotten, Sweden, Sweden | Visimind AB | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Nov 2017 | MD Helicopters 369HS | La Morita, Mexico | City of Tijuana | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 2018 | Cessna 172 | Shreveport, Louisiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Oct 2018 | Stearman A75N1(PT17) | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 2018 | Air Tractor AT 402 | Crowley, Louisiana, United States | Leleuxs Flying Service Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2018 | Piper PA28 | Shreveport, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 2018 | McDonnell Douglas DC 9 83(MD-83) | Alexandria, Louisiana, United States | Caribbean Sun Airlines Inc | No injuries | - |
| 6 Feb 2018 | Piper PA 34-220T | Patterson, Louisiana, United States | Air Reldan Inc. | Serious injuries | - |