# Accident 19990209014589A: Hughes 369D, Herminie, PA, February 9, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 9, 1999, 15:15 local time
- Place: Herminie, PA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.2608° N, 79.7107° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2608&lon=-79.7107&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5070J (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 369D
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,800 total, 1,570 in this make and model, 170 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA055) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990209014589A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.19) ON FEBRUARY 9, 1999, ABOUT 1515 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A HUGHES 369D, N5070J, OPERATED BY AGROTORS INCORPORATED, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FROM A HIGH HOVER NEAR HERMANIE, PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND A PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. A SECOND PASSENGER THAT WAS STANDING ON A LANDING SKID, STRAPPED IN A HARNESS, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE AERIAL INSPECTION FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA. THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER STATED IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THAT HE WAS PERFORMING AERIAL INSPECTIONS OF POWERLINES FROM A HOVER, 65-75 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. THE PILOT ROTATED THE HELICOPTER 270 DEGREES TO AVOID OBSTACLES AND ENTERED A DECENT. THE REAR MAIN SKIDS TOUCHED DOWN FIRST, THEN THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST IN A CLEARED AREA ON DOWN-SLOPING TERRAIN. DURING THE TOUCHDOWN, THREE OF THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM. THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED TO THE RIGHT AND WAS FOUND ABOUT 100 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. MISCELLANEOUS DEBRIS WAS ALSO FOUND AS FAR AWAY AS 300 FEET FROM   THE MAIN WRECKAGE, INCLUDING THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT. EXAMINATION OF THE POWER CONTROL RIGGING AND FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED NO ABNORMALITIES. THE ALLISON ENGINE AND ITS FUEL CONTROL WERE REMOVED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. (.4) THE HELICOPTER WAS POSITIONING NEXT TO A POWERLINE TOWER, IN AN OUT OF GROUND EFFECT HOVER. DURING THE HOVER, THE ENGINE OUT WARNING HORN SOUNDED, ALERTING THE PILOT OF A POSSIBLE POWER LOSS. THE PILOT BACKED THE HELICOPTER AWAY FROM THE TOWER, LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, AND TURNED TO THE LEFT TO AVOID THE TOWER. APPROXIMATELY 10-15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE LOST ADDITIONAL POWER, AND DESCENDED RAPIDLY. JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT, THE PILOT APPLIED MAXIMUM COLLECTIVE, AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. AFTER LANDING, THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN BY THE PILOT. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND ACCELERATED IN A TEST CELL FROM 70 PERCENT TO 95 PERCENT TORQUE. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED, AND POWER CALIBRATIONS WERE COMPUTED. THE COMPUTED POWER CALIBRATIONS REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING 12 PERCENT MORE THAN RATED POWER. THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT WAS REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE, INSPECTED, AND TESTED. NO CONDITIONS WERE FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE PROHIBITED THE UNIT FROM OPERATIN    G NORMALLY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.

## 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 NYC99LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA055), Feb 9, 1999: Hughes 369D (N5070J), Herminie, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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.