# Accident 19991130042909A: Hughes 369E, Taft, CA, November 30, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 30, 1999, 13:45 local time - Place: Taft, CA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft) - Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133) - Operator: A05A - Location: 35.1596° N, 119.4300° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1596&lon=-119.4300&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5238C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5238C) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Hughes Helicopters 369E (registry code 4470707, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-369e) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HUGHES 369E - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 8,000 total, 5,700 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA047](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA047) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991130042909A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THE MD-500E HELICOPTER WAS HOVERING AT APPROX. 100' AGL WITH AN EXTERNAL LOAD OF 800 POUNDS. UPON LIFTING THIS LOAD AN AUDIBLE "POP" WAS HEARD FROM THE TURBINE ENGINE AREA. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL DURING THE AUTOROTATION UNTIL THE A/C CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE LEFT GEAR STRUCK A METAL SIGN BREAKING THE GEAR FROM THE A/C. THE A/C CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 30, 1999, AT 1345 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BOEING 500E, N5238C, COLLIDED WITH GROUND OBSTACLES DURING A FORCED, AUTOROTATIVE LANDING NEAR TAFT, CALIFORNIA, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; HOWEVER, THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN EXTERNAL LOAD FLIGHT BY OMNI ENERGY SERVICES, UNDER 14 CFR PART 133 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE HELIPAD NEAR TAFT AT 1135. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PICKING UP AN 800-PUND SLINGLOAD ON A 100-FOOT LONGLINE. AS HIS LOAD REACHED ABOUT 90 TO 100 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE RELEASED HIS LOAD, TURNED TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID PEOPLE AND EQUIPMENT ON THE GROUND, AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION. AS HE NEARED THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A METAL SIGN, SHEARING ITS LEFT SKID TUBE. AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, IT IMMEDIATELY ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. A FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, WHO EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THAT AIRCRAFT HAD USEABLE FUEL ON BOARD AND THAT THERE WAS NO VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE. (.4) ON NOVEMBER 30, 1999, AT 1345 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A MDHI 369E, N5238C, COLLIDED WITH A STANDPIPE DURING A FORCED, AUTOROTATIVE LANDING NEAR TAFT, CALIFORNIA, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; HOWEVER, THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN EXTERNAL LOAD FLIGHT BY OMNI ENERGY SERVICES UNDER 14 CFR PART 133 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE HELIPAD NEAR TAFT AT 1135. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PICKING UP AN 800-POUND SLING LOAD ON A 100-FOOT-LONG LINE. AS HIS LOAD REACHED ABOUT 90 TO 100 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE QUIT. HE RELEASED HIS LOAD, TURNED TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID PEOPLE AND EQUIPMENT ON THE GROUND, AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE LEFT REAR CROSS TUBE STRUCK A STANDPIPE, SHEARING THE LEFT SKID TUBE AND STRUT OFF THE HELICOPTER. AS THE MAIN ROTOR SLOWED, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE GROUND AT THE ACCIDENT SITE HAD BEEN DISTURBED BY VEHICLES AND CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, PRODUCING DUSTY AND GRITTY CONDITIONS. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER, ROLLS-ROYCE ALLISON, PARTICIPATED IN THE INVESTIGATION. THE ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT THE SECOND STAGE COMPRESSOR VANES HAD FAILED. ALL FIRST STAGE VANES WERE INTACT, AND ALL THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, AND SIXTH STAGE VANES EXHIBITED SOME DEGREE OF FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE (FOD). ADDITIONALLY, EROSION OF THE PLASTIC COATING ON FIRST AND SECOND STAGE VANES EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE LIMITS SPECIFIED BY THE ROLLS-ROYCE ALLISON 250-C20 SERIES OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL. THE FIRST STAGE COMPRESSOR BLADES WERE FOUND ERODED WITH THE LEADING EDGES ROLLED OVER AND SCALLOPED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FAILED VANES REVEALED THAT THEY CONFORMED TO ALL CHEMICAL AND PROCESS SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE COMPONENTS. ACCORDING TO MAINTENANCE RECORDS, A 300-HOUR INSPECTION HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE AT 2,418.8 FLIGHT HOURS, ABOUT 130 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS THAT AN IN SPECTION OF THE COMPRESSOR CASE BE PERFORMED EVERY 300 FLIGHT HOURS WHEN OPERATING IN AN EROSIVE ENVIRONMENT. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE NO RECORDS FOUND FOR COMPRESSOR WASHES. ## 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 LAX00LA047](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA047), Nov 30, 1999: Boeing 369E (N5238C), Taft, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The fatigue failure of a second stage compressor vane due to erosion, which resulted in a catastrophic engine failure. An inadequate inspection of the compressor section by company maintenance… 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.