20040806018439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes OH6A · Anchorage, AK · August 6, 2004

Date: August 6, 2004 · 08:56 local
Place: Anchorage, AK
Airport: Merrill Field Airport
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N243D
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC04LA087
Reported as: Hughes OH6A
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,500 total27 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N243DRegistration cancelled Feb 20, 2018 · Hughes 369AS/N 691203 Airframe modelHughes 369A Engine modelAllison 250-C10DTurbo-shaft

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) Aircraft crashed while landing at mri. This report will be amended when more evidence is uncovered. (-23 amendment) aircraft crashed while landing at mri. Received a call from Mr. Marson regarding the accident involving N243D. Mr. Marson said the approach to mri was normal until an A-6 started to taxi and the tower directed him to hover over the grass to the side of the taxiway beside runway 24. As he was positioning to hover he increased torque and pushed left pedal. He noticed that he had no more left pedal and tried to correct, the aircraft continued to turn faster to the right. At this point he said he lost control and was along for the ride. It appears that the tail rotor became ineffective because of rotor wash and there was no more directional control.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT CRASHED WHILE LANDING AT MRI. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED WHEN MORE EVIDENCE IS UNCOVERED. (-23 AMENDMENT) AIRCRAFT CRASHED WHILE LANDING AT MRI. RECEIVED A CALL FROM MR. MARSON REGARDING THE ACCIDENT INVOLVING N243D. MR. MARSON SAID THE APPROACH TO MRI WAS NORMAL UNTIL AN A-6 STARTED TO TAXI AND THE TOWER DIRECTED HIM TO HOVER OVER THE GRASS TO THE SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY BESIDE RUNWAY 24. AS HE WAS POSITIONING TO HOVER HE INCREASED TORQUE AND PUSHED LEFT PEDAL. HE NOTICED THAT HE HAD NO MORE LEFT PEDAL AND TRIED TO CORRECT, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TURN FASTER TO THE RIGHT. AT THIS POINT HE SAID HE LOST CONTROL AND WAS ALONG FOR THE RIDE. IT APPEARS THAT THE TAIL ROTOR BECAME INEFFECTIVE BECAUSE OF ROTOR WASH AND THERE WAS NO MORE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL.

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 ANC04LA087Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAnchorage, AKA loss of tail rotor effectiveness during aerial taxi, and the pilot's delayed remedial action to counteract a rapid right yaw, which resulted in an in-flight loss of directional control, and in-flight collision with terrain. A factor contributing to the…Aug 6, 2004 · Substantial damage