20060707013669A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369A · Medford, OR · July 7, 2006

Date
July 7, 2006 · 16:30 local
Place
Medford, OR
Phase of flight
Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N72LB
Reported as
Hughes 369A
Reported engine
Allison 250C10D
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
190 total170 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

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 provides that he was in final stage of landing at 10 feet AGL. He experienced a sudden tail gust that resulted in aircraft tail descending abruptly. The tail rotor struck ground, then tail boom collapsed. The aircraft subsequently landed hard and damaged left skid and lower fuselage panels. Pilot adds he was unable to react to the wind gust fast enough to preclude an accident due to low altitude. Condition exacerbated by gross weight, MSL of 1890 and density altitude of 3600FT.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT PROVIDES THAT HE WAS IN FINAL STAGE OF LANDING AT 10 FEET AGL. HE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN TAIL GUST THAT RESULTED IN AIRCRAFT TAIL DESCENDING ABRUPTLY. THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK GROUND, THEN TAIL BOOM COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED HARD AND DAMAGED LEFT SKID AND LOWER FUSELAGE PANELS. PILOT ADDS HE WAS UNABLE TO REACT TO THE WIND GUST FAST ENOUGH TO PRECLUDE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LOW ALTITUDE. CONDITION EXACERBATED BY GROSS WEIGHT, MSL OF 1890 AND DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 3600FT.