19951109036419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Alma, MI · November 9, 1995

Date: November 9, 1995 · 15:00 local
Place: Alma, MI
Airport: Gratiot Community Airport
Phase of flight: Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: TH6L
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N58231
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI96LA032
Reported as: Hughes 369D
Reported engine: Allison 250C20B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,600 total1,200 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Lost power lifting christmas trees. Autorotated to hard landing. Broke skid. Rolled, antice on. No snow in separator. (-23) pilot was lifting 800# bundles of christman trees, engine began to smoke and then quit. Helicopter was autorotated from 40' and made hard landing, breaking the right skid/struts and rolling over on right side. Damage to rotor, tailboom & fuselage underside. Pilot stated that engine anti-ice was on, and no snow was seen in the separator after the crash.

As the FAA filed it

LOST POWER LIFTING CHRISTMAS TREES. AUTOROTATED TO HARD LANDING. BROKE SKID.ROLLED, ANTICE ON.NO SNOW IN SEPARATOR. (-23) PILOT WAS LIFTING 800# BUNDLES OF CHRISTMAN TREES, ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE AND THEN QUIT. HELICOPTER WAS AUTOROTATED FROM 40' AND MADE HARD LANDING, BREAKING THE RIGHT SKID/STRUTS AND ROLLING OVER ON RIGHT SIDE. DAMAGE TO ROTOR, TAILBOOM & FUSELAGE UNDERSIDE. PILOT STATED THAT ENGINE ANTI-ICE WAS ON, AND NO SNOW WAS SEEN IN THE SEPARATOR AFTER THE CRASH.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI96LA032Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCrystal, MIfuel contamination resulting in the loss of engine power, and improper fuel sump screen installation on the nurse truck resulting in contamination of the fuel supply.Nov 9, 1995 · Substantial damage