# Accident 19980124000609A: Hughes 369D, Pacific Ocean, BP, January 24, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 24, 1998, 03:00 local time - Place: Pacific Ocean, BP - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Aircraft: N521ZZ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N521ZZ-1998-04-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D (registry code 4470706, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-hughes-369d) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HUGHES 369D - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 817 total, 17 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA079) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980124000609A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JANUARY 24, 1998, AT 1300 HOURS SAIPAN STANDARD TIME, A HUGHTES 369D, N521ZZ, OPERATED BY BIG EYE HELICOPTERS, INC., GUAM, CRASHED INTO INTERNATIONAL SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN WATERS APPROXIMATELY 300 MILES EAST0NORTHEAST OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. THE HELICOPTER SANK IN DEEP WATER, AND NO RECOVERY ATTEMPT IS ANTICIPATED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUCCUMBED TO IMPACT-RELATED INJURIES, AND THE SECOND CREWMEMBER WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE VESSEL FAIRWELL 707 AT 1259. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATORS MANAGER, THE PILOT AND OBSERVER TOOK OFF IN THE HELICOPTER WITHOUT MISHAP ADN CLIMBED TO ABOUT 400 FEET. THE HELICOPTER CREW SPOTTED FISH NEAR THE BOW OF THE VESSEL, AND THE PILOT DESCENDED TO COMMENCE A "HERD OPERATION". DURING THE DESCENT, THE PILOT MADE A DOWNWIND TURN IN THE PREVAILING 15 KNOT WIND. AS THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED ITS DESCENT, IT CHANGED ITS HEADING 180 DESGREES AND APPEARED TO EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE). THE DESCENT WAS NOT ARRESTED, AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE WATER. ONE FLOAT BROKE OFF AND THE OTHER WAS SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. BOTH CREWMEMBERS WERE RESCUED PRIOR TO THE HELICOPTER SINKING TO AN ESTIMATED DEPTH OF 6000 FEET. THE OPERATORS MANAGER FURTHER REPORTED THAT BEFORE THE PILOT DIED HE STATED THAT NO ENGINE PROBLEMS HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD ERRED IN CONTROLLING THE HELICOPTER. ON JANUARY 28, 1998, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD MAILED THE OPERATOR THE REQUIRED AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT FORM NO. 6120.1/2 TO COMPLETE. THIS WRITTEN REQUEST WAS FOLLOWED UP WITH ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE AIRCRAFT AND ACCIDENT. AS OF JULY14, 1998, THE OPERATOR HAS NOT RESPONDED. (-23) ON JANUARY 24, 1998, AT 1300 HOURS SAIPAN STANDARD TIME, A HUGHES 369D, N521ZZ, OPERATED BY BIG EYE HELICOPTERS, INC., GUAM, CRASHED INTO INTERNATIONAL SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN WATERS APPROXIMATELY 300 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. THE HELICOPTERS SANK IN DEEP WATER, AND NO RECOVERY ATTEMPT IS ANTICIPATED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUMMUMBED TO IMPACT-RELATED INJURIES, AND THE SECOND CREWMEMBER WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE VESSEL FAIRWELL 707 AT 1255. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR 'S MANAGER, THE PILOT AND OBSERVER TOOK OFF IN THE HELICOPTER WITHOUT MISHAP AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 400 FEET. THE HELICOPTER CREW SPOTTED NEARBY FISH, AND THE PILOT DESCENDED TO COMMENCE A "HERD" OPERATION. DURING THE DESCENT, THE PILOT MADE A DOWNWIND TURN IN THE PREVAILING 15-KNOT WIND. AS THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED ITS DESCENT, IT CHANGED ITS HEADING 180 DEGREES AND APPEARED TO EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE). THE DESCENT WAS NOT ARRESTED, AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE WATER. ONE FLOAT BROKE OFF AND THE OTHER WAS SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. BOTH CREWMEMBERS WERE RESCUED PRIOR TO THE HELICOPTER SINKING TO AN ESTIMATED DEPTH OF 6,000 FEET. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX98LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA079), Jan 24, 1998: Hughes 369D (N521ZZ), Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean), destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for the wind condition and failure to maintain a proper rate of descent which resulted in the inadvertent loss of tail rotor effectiveness during a… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.