# Accident 20121013023732A: Hughes OH-6A, West Chester, PA, October 13, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 13, 2012, 09:30 local time
- Place: West Chester, PA
- Airport: Brandywine
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Collision: Midair collision
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.9903° N, 75.5819° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9903&lon=-75.5819&mi=10
- Aircraft: N369SN, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N369SN-2019-05-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hughes OH-6A (registry code 4470905, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-oh-6a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C10D (registry code 54172, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c10d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES OH-6A
- Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC 250-C10D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,560 total, 115 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA13LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA022) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121013023732A

## Narrative

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

ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 0920 LOCAL TIME, A FIVE-SHIP FORMATION OF HUGHES 500 HELICOPTERS FROM LANCASTER AIRPORT, PA (LNR) ARRIVED TO CONDUCT SIGHTSEEING RIDES AT A ROTORFEST EVENT AT BRANDYWINE AIRPORT (KOQN), PA, AN UNCONTROLLED AIRFIELD WITH UNICOM.AS THE IN-LINE FORMATION BEGAN A BASE LEG  FROM DOWNWIND TO RWY 9, A HIGH WING AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED ON LONG FINAL TO RWY 9. THE FORMATION'S FLIGHT BOSS, WHO WAS IN SHIP NO. 5 IN THE TRAIL POSITION, COMMANDED THE FORMATION TO "BREAK LEFT OR LAND" TO ACCOMMODATE THE INTRUDING AIRCRAFT.  AS THE 5 HELICOPTERS MANEUVERED, SHIP NO. 3 (THIS REPORT'S ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT)   DESCENDED INTO THE ROTOR OF SHIP NO. 4 . SHIP 4'S ROTORS SHEARED OFF THE ENTIRE RIGHT SKID OF SHIP NO. 3.  SHIP NO. 4 LANDED SAFELY WHILE SHIP NO. 3 HOVERED TO DECIDE HOW TO RESPOND TO THE MISSING SKID.  THE PILOT OF SHIP NO. 3 DETERMINED THE SAFEST ACTION WOULD BE TO RETURN TO LANCASTER (LNR) WHERE A POTENTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL DURING LANDING COULD BE RESPONDED TO BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. ALSO, A ONE-SKID LANDING COULD BE SUPPORTED BY AVAILABLE GROUND CREW. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT LNR WITHOUT INCIDENT. SHIP 4 ALSO LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT OQN. TWO EA-17 FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS WERE CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE NEARBY AND ARRIVED AT THE SCENE WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF THE ACCIDENT.OTHER AIRCRAFT INVOLVED SHIP NO. 4 REGISTRATION NUMBER IS N546-SEE RELATED REPORT AEA1713004

## Other aircraft in the event

- N546, Hughes/Helicopter Assocs Inc 369A: [Accident 20121013023652A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121013023652A)

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA13LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA022), Oct 13, 2012: Hughes 369A (N369SN), West Chester, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to see and avoid the preceding helicopter while maneuvering for landing. Contributing to the accident were the flight lead pilot’s inadequate preflight briefing and in-flight…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.