Aviation Crash Map

McDonnell Douglas 369E N90TG

22 January 2021 · Queen Creek, Arizona, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 22 January 2021 at about 16:30 local time, a McDonnell Douglas 369E registered N90TG was involved in an accident near Queen Creek, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 16:30
Classification
Accident
Location
Queen Creek, Arizona, United States
Nearest airport
Rittenhouse Army Heliport ((AZ3)
Coordinates
33.3200, -111.4800
Aircraft
McDonnell Douglas 369E
Registration
N90TG
Category
Helicopter
Year built
1990
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Scottsdala → Kearney
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
WPR21LA093

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 0 0 0 2

Probable cause

The pilot's uncoordinated flight control inputs while entering a hover, which lead to a loss of aircraft control which resulted in the left skid making contact with the ground, causing the helicopter to roll on its side. 

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during a practice approach to an off-airport location, he increased the collective and applied left pedal to bring the helicopter to a hover. The helicopter nosed right and continued to rotate as he attempted to stop it by applying left pedal. Subsequently, the helicopter encountered a tail wind situation, and the rate of turn became excessive, as he continued to attempt to arrest the spin. Shortly thereafter, the left skid caught the ground and bent inward, causing the helicopter to roll on its left side. The fuselage and main rotor blades were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other McDonnell Douglas 369 accidents

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All 96 records for this type

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All 170,864 records in United States