20010908025489A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 269C · Lubbock, TX · September 8, 2001

Date: September 8, 2001 · 13:30 local
Place: Lubbock, TX
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: S8PG
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N7472F
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW01LA205
Reported as: Hughes 269C

N7472FRegistration cancelled Nov 17, 2014 · Hughes 269CS/N 270556 Airframe modelHughes 269C

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.

(-23) Pilot had just started the first spray pass in this field, he had flown several flights earlier in the day. He was about 800 feet into the field when he saw and felt hot smoke coming into the helicopter cockpit from the right side. He was flying with the doors removed, at 8 feet and 50 knots of airspeed with a quartering right tailwind. He started to slow the helicopter and descend to the cotton field. He stated that he had no power to cushion the landing and slid straight ahead. Witnesses saw fire and smoke coming from the rear of the engine area. Soot, smoke and some heat damage is evident on the engine and around the engine accessories, but the source of the fire was not fuel or oil from the engine. We are trying to determine if the malithion being applied to the cotton field ignited.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT HAD JUST STARTED THE FIRST SPRAY PASS IN THIS FIELD, HE HAD FLOWN SEVERAL FLIGHTS EARLIER IN THE DAY. HE WAS ABOUT 800 FEET INTO THE FIELD WHEN HE SAW AND FELT HOT SMOKE COMING INTO THE HELICOPTER COCKPIT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. HE WAS FLYING WITH THE DOORS REMOVED, AT 8 FEET AND 50 KNOTS OF AIRSPEED WITH A QUARTERING RIGHT TAILWIND. HE STARTED TO SLOW THE HELICOPTER AND DESCEND TO THE COTTON FIELD. HE STATED THAT HE HAD NO POWER TO CUSHION THE LANDING AND SLID STRAIGHT AHEAD. WITNESSES SAW FIRE AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE ENGINE AREA. SOOT, SMOKE AND SOME HEAT DAMAGE IS EVIDENT ON THE ENGINE AND AROUND THE ENGINE ACCESSORIES, BUT THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT FUEL OR OIL FROM THE ENGINE. WE ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF THE MALITHION BEING APPLIED TO THE COTTON FIELD IGNITED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW01LA205Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLubbock, TXThe loss of engine power while maneuvering for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was a malfunction of the spray system.Sep 8, 2001 · Destroyed

Other reports on N7472F · 2

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

Accident 19790612012309AForced Landing · Eckley, COHelecopter crashed during emerg landing attempt,caused by engine failure .Jun 12, 1979 · Substantial damage Incident 19780810049299ILow Level Operations · Wiggins, COHelicopter struck powerlines.Aug 10, 1978 · Minor damage