20060620012249A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Salt Lake City, UT · June 20, 2006

Date: June 20, 2006 · 09:00 local
Place: Salt Lake City, UT
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N88SE
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA06LA124
Reported as: Hughes 369D
Reported engine: Allison 250C20B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,779 total905 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days

N88SERegistration cancelled Oct 29, 2013 · Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DS/N 800775D · Built 1980 Airframe modelHughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D Engine modelAllison 250 SER 250HPTurbo-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) While lifting a sling load consisting of a 430 pound air ventilation van to the roof top of a window manufacturing plant the aircraft experienced a loss of power and landed on its side on the roof. The aircraft was hovering at approximately 90 feet above the load positioning the fan over an opening when the power loss occurred. The pilot maneuvered to avoid the people under the aircraft who were positioning the fan into place and attempted to release the load. The aircraft landed hard and bounced sideward the length of lifting cable. The cable with its attached load prevented the helicopter from landing level which resulted in the helicopter rolling on its side. The rotorblades were bent up at an extreme angle with very little rotational damage. The cause of the power loss has not been determined. External inspection of the engine did not reveal any obvious cause. The engine is being removed and returned to the manufacturer for further analysis.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE LIFTING A SLING LOAD CONSISTING OF A 430 POUND AIR VENTILATION VAN TO THE ROOF TOP OF A WINDOW MANUFACTURING PLANT THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AND LANDED ON ITS SIDE ON THE ROOF. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOVERING AT APPROXIMATELY 90 FEET ABOVE THE LOAD POSITIONING THE FAN OVER AN OPENING WHEN THE POWER LOSS OCCURRED. THE PILOT MANEUVERED TO AVOID THE PEOPLE UNDER THE AIRCRAFT WHO WERE POSITIONING THE FAN INTO PLACE AND ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE LOAD. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED SIDEWARD THE LENGTH OF LIFTING CABLE. THE CABLE WITH ITS ATTACHED LOAD PREVENTED THE HELICOPTER FROM LANDING LEVEL WHICH RESULTED IN THE HELICOPTER ROLLING ON ITS SIDE. THE ROTORBLADES WERE BENT UP AT AN EXTREME ANGLE WITH VERY LITTLE ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. THE CAUSE OF THE POWER LOSS HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. EXTERNAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY OBVIOUS CAUSE. THE ENGINE IS BEING REMOVED AND RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.

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 SEA06LA124Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSalt Lake City, UTA loss of rotor rpm for undetermined reasons, resulting in a hard landing on top of the commercial building over which the helicopter was working.Jun 20, 2006 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N88SE · 1

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

Accident 19911023047419ATo Vertical (Helicopter Only) · Beech Grove, OHFlight control linkage disconnect on liftoff. Hit tail first and rolled over. Bolt connecting pitch control missingOct 23, 1991 · Substantial damage