Hughes 369A N369GK

Summary

On 19 May 2018 at about 14:45 local time, a Hughes 369A registered N369GK was involved in an accident near Stoneburg, Texas, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 May 2018 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Stoneburg, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.7069, -97.9167

Aircraft

Hughes 369A

Registration

N369GK

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sunset → Sunset

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA183

4 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's unsafe and aggressive operation of the helicopter at low altitude, which resulted in impact with trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was conducting an aerial tour flight to hunt hogs in the helicopter with four passengers on board. As the pilot was returning to the landing zone and the helicopter was about 125 ft above the ground, a passenger saw a coyote below the helicopter and reported it to the other occupants. The pilot then chose to chase the coyote and suddenly made a tight, right turn and then entered a steep descent, which resulted in the helicopter rapidly approaching a tree line; the pilot initiated a climb, but the helicopter impacted the trees and then terrain. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot was operating the helicopter unsafely at a low altitude, which likely resulted in him seeing the tree line ahead too late to avoid impact with the trees.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.