19960425013679I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hughes 369D · Wareham, MA · April 25, 1996

Date: April 25, 1996 · 15:00 local
Place: Wareham, MA
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: XXXL
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N5105N
Reported as: Hughes 369D
Reported engine: Allison 250C20B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,091 total187 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days

N5105NRegistration cancelled Nov 24, 1998 · Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DS/N 911055D Airframe modelHughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D

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.

Narrative: pilot was completing runup prior to flight and added power to lift up to a hover. He then heard a loud bang which was followed by a vibration within the main rotor system. Pilot immediately shut down the helicopter. Investigation revealed that a main rotor tip weight and cap had been thrown off one of the main rotor blades and then struck the horizontal stabilizer with such force that it passed directly through it. Main rotor blade is deemed repairable however the horizontal stabilizer is not. Malfunction and defect report is being prepared for submission. Incident report no. NE019610059.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: PILOT WAS COMPLETING RUNUP PRIOR TO FLIGHT AND ADDED POWER TO LIFT UP TO A HOVER. HE THEN HEARD A LOUD BANG WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A VIBRATION WITHIN THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM. PILOT IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE HELICOPTER. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A MAIN ROTOR TIP WEIGHT AND CAP HAD BEEN THROWN OFF ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND THEN STRUCK THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT PASSED DIRECTLY THROUGH IT. MAIN ROTOR BLADE IS DEEMED REPAIRABLE HOWEVER THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER IS NOT. MALFUNCTION AND DEFECT REPORT IS BEING PREPARED FOR SUBMISSION. INCIDENT REPORT NO. NE019610059.

Other reports on N5105N · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19970511009709AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Puako, HILost power. Failed autorotate. Rotors chopped tail. Helicopter rolled. Burned errored and fatigues turbine blades.May 11, 1997 · Destroyed · 2 fatal