20030419021399A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369HS · Conroe, TX · April 19, 2003

Date: April 19, 2003 · 11:35 local
Place: Conroe, TX
Airport: Montgomery County Airport
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N16Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW03LA134
Reported as: Hughes 369HS
Reported engine: Allison 250C20
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,200 total220 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N16QRegistered now · Hughes 369HSS/N 1290227S Airframe modelHughes 369HS Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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 reported that he was flying along the shoreline (left/south) then east and flew back out over the lake and came back over the location flying (west/south) at about 20 to 30 feet over the lake. As the pilot approached the location of the body the helicopter began to spin to the right; the pilot stated that he could not control the helicopter so he set the aircraft in two to three feet of water the helicopter then rolled over on its left side.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS FLYING ALONG THE SHORELINE (LEFT/SOUTH) THEN EAST AND FLEW BACK OUT OVER THE LAKE AND CAME BACK OVER THE LOCATION FLYING (WEST/SOUTH) AT ABOUT 20 TO 30 FEET OVER THE LAKE. AS THE PILOT APPROACHED THE LOCATION OF THE BODY THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIN TO THE RIGHT; THE PILOT STATED THAT HE COULD NOT CONTROL THE HELICOPTER SO HE SET THE AIRCRAFT IN TWO TO THREE FEET OF WATER THE HELICOPTER THEN ROLLED OVER ON ITS LEFT SIDE.

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 FTW03LA134Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportConroe, TXThe pilot's inability to control the helicopter after encountering loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A contributing factor was the unfavorable winds.Apr 19, 2003 · Substantial damage