# Accident 19990215014729A: Hughes 369D, Baggs, WY, February 15, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 15, 1999, 17:15 local time
- Place: Baggs, WY
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.0347° N, 107.6573° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Baggs, WY, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0347&lon=-107.6573&mi=10
- Aircraft: CGDCM (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 369D
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990215014729A

## Narrative

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

(.19) ON FEBRUARY 15, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1710 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A HUGHES 369D, CGDCM, BEING OPERATED BY PEACE HELICOPTERS OF EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER IMPACTING TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE MANEUVERING NEARS BAGGS, WYOMING. THE CANADIAN REGISTERED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA BUSINESS FLIGHT BEING OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PERFORM SEISMIC SURVEY WORK. WHILE AT APPROXIMATELY 300 AGL, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. (-23)PC LINE FROM THE GOVNER "T" TO FUEL CONTROL UNIT WAS FOUND IMPROPERLY CONNECTED.  THE "B" NUT WAS COMPLETELY BACKED OFF FROM THE THREADS.  THE ENGINE WENT TO GROUND IDLE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AT A SPEED OF 40 MPH.  A SAFE AUTOROTATION COULD NOT BE DONE DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES.                                                                                                                   (.4)THE HELICOPTER WAS CONDUCTING A SEISMIC SURVEY OPERATION AT 200 TO 250 FEET AGL AT 40 KNOTS WHEN THE ENGINE'S AUTOMATIC RE-IGNITION SYSTEM CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED, FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF MAIN ROTOR RPM. THE PILOT UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM AN AUTOROTATION, AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND.  A POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE TURBOSHAFT ENGINE WAS PERFORMED, REVEALING THAT THE PC LINE 'B' NUT BETWEEN THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT (FCU) AND THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR (PTG) WAS NOT CONNECTED AT THE FCU, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ENGINE PNEUMATIC PRESSURE.  ACCORDING TO AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS, THE TURBINE SECTION OF THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE AND REPLACED WITH A RENTAL TURBINE.  THE PC LINE AND VARIOUS PNEUMATIC AND FUEL SYSTEM LINES HAD BEEN REMOVED TO FACILITATE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE'S TURBINE SECTION.  THE HELICOPTER HAD FLOWN 6.1 HOURS SINCE THE TURBINE WAS REPLACED.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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.

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