# Incident 20021106035839I: Hughes 369HS, Kolonia, November 6, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 6, 2002, 11:00 local time
- Place: Kolonia
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft: N85AL (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 369HS
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 9,300 total, 2 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021106035839I

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON 11/6/02, MR. STEVEN KEITH HOFFMAN WAS PIC OF N85AL, A HUGHES 500C, THAT WAS ON A FISH SPOTTING FLIGHT NEAR THE EQUATOR. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 AM LOCAL TIME, THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO AMAL-FUNCTIONING OIL COOLER BY-PASS VALVE. THE STUCK BY-PASS VALVE CAUSED THE LOSS OF ENGINE OIL WHEN THE STARTER/GENERATOR SEALS FAILED. MR. HOFFMAN MADE A AUTO-ROTATION TO TOUCHDOWN ON TOP OF A 20 FOOT SWELL. AFTER THE TOUCHDOWN THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO DIP DOWN DUE TO THE SWELLS. AT THIS TIME THE ROTOR BLADES HIT THE TAIL BOOM RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM AND TO THE ROTOR BLADES.

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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